Kyoto Files Revisited
by PJ Zatken
Summary: Another string of brutal murders in Kyoto and a minor assignment reopen old wounds for Tsuzuki. As they work together to solve the case, can the amethyst-eyed shinigami keep his sanity intact? TsuSoka, TatTari, MurTsu, TatTsu . COMPLETED
1. Prologue

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Prologue**

* * *

Through the foggy and damp streets of Kyoto, an eighteen-year-old young woman ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She panted, squeezing out as much adrenaline as she could from her system. Her uncontrollable tears of panic and fear continued to stream down her cheeks. Her heart mercilessly throbbed – not just from running, but also due to the very one that chased her down the streets and alleyways.

All that she knew was that if she gave in to a moment's hesitation or rest, her young life would be over. She darted past the _Philosopher's Path_ as her scurrying feet led her past the famous bridge where people hung around and enjoyed the quaint city's beauty, or where lovers took their moonlit strolls.

Whoever – or whatever – had been running after her for the past fifteen minutes was certainly not a lover or a friend.

Eventually, she stumbled and fell face down when her foot stumbled on a rock secluded by the fog. She tried to stand up, but once again fell face down. Upon impact, her skin split open as she hit her chin and cheek hard against the wet and rough concrete. Ignoring the throbbing pain and continuous flow of blood, she frantically turned around to face her unknown pursuer. Her panic-stricken heart throbbed louder as she heard such unearthly and labored breathing coming closer to where she fell.

The very thing that she had been running away from now stood a couple of feet before her. The thick curtain of fog parted as the eerie moonlight focused its beam to reveal her unearthly pursuer.

Her charcoal gray eyes went wide as she screamed at the top of her lungs for help. Terrified, she backed away from her demonic pursuer.

For each foot that she had managed to nudge away, the demon closed the gap between them. Its white eyes – which served as a morbid contrast against its scaly and towering obsidian body – glowed in the dark as they focused on the prey. It let out an infernal roar while it eagerly salivated. Its heavy feet then slammed hard against the wet concrete for each step it took to close in on its victim.

The horrified young woman turned her back away from the demon – frantically crawling away as fast as her raw and bloodied hands and knees could take her. She once again let out a bloodcurdling scream as it pulled her leg, yanked her towards it, and made her exposed skin burn as it made contact against rough concrete.

The demon's eyes malevolently glinted. It snarled, drowning its victim's spine-chilling screams and futile cries for her life.

Once the pursuer pinned its full weight on the helpless woman, it then ripped her blouse. As she made a final effort to escape, it then slapped its hands hard against her ears. Upon getting a firm grip of the disoriented victim, it then mercilessly and repeatedly bashed her head against the concrete.

Her skull cracked open in many places. Blood began to ooze out of her mouth and nose, as her body went into spasms.

As the young woman's life ebbed away from her, the demon then ripped the rest of her clothing. Afterwards, it trashed her around the damp concrete as if she were a rag doll. Minutes later, it laid its victim flat on her back. Its glowing eyes lingered on her helpless and bloodied form, and eventually made contact with her listless eyes.

Flicking its blade-like fingernails and angrier than ever before, the demon stabbed her and gashed a deep continuous wound. Ultimately, it managed to carve a six-pointed star on her chest. Minutes later, its white eyes widened and flashed in such wild fury. It abruptly stood up, furiously beat its scaly chest, and angrily roared its frustration. Once the last sliver of its bone-chilling roar echoed away into the dark and foggy oblivion, it then slowly disappeared from where it stood.

A shadowy figure that witnessed the entire grisly scene casually stepped away from a secluded spot. Calculated footsteps echoed as the mysterious figure merged with the darkness and fog – walking away from the scene as if nothing just happened, and leaving the young woman to die in a pool of her blood.

**End of Prologue**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	2. The Assignment

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter One – The Assignment**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and will keep in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated. _

_This fic will also carry out the anime/manga's shounen-ai tradition._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series. A list will be provided in each chapter to help the readers who may not be so familiar with the series._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die and it is by this that the dead are admitted into Meifu. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** - the summons section of the bureau - answers only to EnmaDaiOh-sama and are hence the highest rankings employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_EnmaDaiOh_**_ is the head of JuOhCho. In the Devil's Trill anime arc, he is referred to as 'the Lord' in a conversation between Chief Kanoe and Tatsumi. He is also referred to as the 'Lord of Hades' by Sagatanas, the demonic villain in the Devil's Trill arc. He is respectfully referred to by the employees as EnmaDaiOh-sama. He is the God of Deathor ruler of the world of the dead._

**_Meifu _**_is the land of the dead._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ is summons or subpoena. The Shokan Division where the main characters work at is also called the Summons Section._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is a good resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a good resource for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

One gory picture after another panned out before them...

All seven of them – Chief Konoe, Tatsumi Seiichiro, Watari Yutaka, Kurosaki Hisoka, Gushoshin Elder, Gushoshin Younger, and Tsuzuki Asato – kept silent for many minutes. The tension in the room built up for every passing minute since the Gushoshin twins ran the projector and walked everyone through the most recent case assigned to the Shokan Division.

Tsuzuki's expressive amethyst eyes probingly stared at a silent Chief Konoe and tightlipped Tatsumi. He ran his wrist-watched right hand through his normally tousled dark brown hair, as he let out a heavy sigh. He quivered inside with a mixture of anger and sorrow over what he just saw – fifteen gory photographs of murder victims. Each bloodied and battered victim was stripped naked, and the body had a six-pointed star carved on his or her chest.

Actually, Tsuzuki first shuddered when he discovered where the murders took place.

All of the murders happened in Kyoto – a quaint and beautiful city that harbored many painful memories that he wanted to remain buried. It was also recent when another painful memory was added to burden him – the tragic death of Ikaruga Mariko and his overall guilt towards her death. No amount of appeasement or explanation from anyone could ever release him from his self-flagellating guilt. As much as he was spared from his suicidal moment of insanity, he became more emotionally, mentally, and spiritually broken.

Hisoka, Tsuzuki's young emerald-eyed partner, was deathly silent as his skin turned pale. No one in the room could ever blame the youngest shinigami from failing to shield his emotions. A chill traveled down his spine knowing that each victim never lived a full life and suffered such a morbid fate. After all, a sadistic killer also murdered him.

To make matters worse, the wave of emotions coming from Tsuzuki suffocated Hisoka. He felt the elder shinigami's passionate urge to solve this murder case, as well as a sea of uncertainty, guilt, and fear. He knew that his partner, as predictably laidback as he was at most times, had not fully recovered from their ordeal at Kyoto. In spite of the warm smile and lackadaisical demeanor that Tsuzuki maintained, Hisoka knew that these gestures were all a front so that the never-ending questions and displays of concern would stop.

Tatsumi's spectacled azure eyes rested between Hisoka and Tsuzuki. Since he and Chief Konoe received word from EnmaDai-Oh about this assignment, he had a sick feeling in his stomach although he hid his emotions well from the others. The small tinge of guilt building up within him continued to grow, as well as his worry for his former partner. "Tsuzuki, Kurosaki...you're going to help out Watari in this investigation."

While the three shinigamis exchanged glances, a somber Chief Konoe mused as he silently shared Tatsumi's sentiments, "One obstacle down, one more to go. If these instructions didn't come from EnmaDai-Oh, and if I had my way, then I wouldn't have Tsuzuki involved in this case. It's just too soon for him, and too painful..."

After exchanging affirmative nods from his two peers, Watari brushed away some of the unruly blond locks away from his handsome face. Looking at Konoe, Tatsumi, and the Gushoshin twins, he then asked, "Have profiles been run on all the victims to find a common thread? Are there any more similarities, aside from the fact that these murders happened in Kyoto as well as the mark left on the victims?"

Konoe leaned back against his chair. The concern within him became more prominent through his face and eyes. "The victims died before they reach their nineteenth birthday. Aside from that, their names have been listed in the kiseki but their souls have never returned. Two-thirds of the victims were confirmed to have had spiritual powers. There's the possibility that the remaining one-third also hadsupernatural abilities."

Watari then asked, "Do you think that their souls are being held captive by the demon world?"

After closing his eyes and shaking his head, the chief replied, "The demonic world's looking for those souls, too. Every one of those fifteen souls is up for grabs, so it's imperative that we get access to them first."

The room, once again, fell silent.

Tatsumi, who now stood beside Konoe as his hand rested on the back of the elder man's chair, pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose. "There's another part of this assignment, Tsuzuki. This has nothing to do with the murders, but since you'd be in Kyoto then this matter could be resolved along with the investigation. You and Kurosaki are to retrieve a person named Tsuuri Troy. He's 18 years old and has been on the kiseki for five months now, but is still living."

Tsuzuki's eyes went wide in a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and empathy as he mused, "Our retrieval's only 18 years old. Is he sick?"

Hisoka tightly closed his eyes, as he tried to recover from another wave of Tsuzuki's emotions hitting him hard from across the table. He also felt Tatsumi and Konoe's respective regret, concern, and fear over having to involve Tsuzuki in this case. His skin became paler and clammier by the minute, as he grew faint. Although wanting to leave the meeting, he remained quietly seated and secretly begging for the meeting to end.

Konoe had his elbows resting on the table and his hands with interlaced fingers before him. His gaze rested on the three shinigami. "Retrieving Troy Tsuuri shouldn't be a hard task. Do your research to prepare for the murder investigation. The Gushoshin twins have been informed to help you in any way possible. The three of you will leave tomorrow."

Knowing that the meeting had just been adjourned, the three shinigamis respectfully nodded. They quietly turned around – with Watari returning to his lab, Hisoka heading outside for fresh air, and Tsuzuki planning to head back to his desk.

After Tsuzuki's two colleagues already left the room, and that he was about to close the door behind him, the elderly man said, "By the way, Tsuzuki?"

Referring to the two assignments just given to them, a tightlipped Konoe explained with a hint of apology in his voice, "If it weren't for EnmaDai-Oh's direct orders, we would make other arrangements."

The shinigami gave a gentle and reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, Sir. I'll be fine."

"I have matters to take care of in Kyoto. I need company, and we're leaving right now," said Tatsumi, as his eyes rested on his close friend and former partner.

Tsuzuki's eyes probingly gazed back at Tatsumi for many minutes before he relented and remarked, "I'll let Hisoka know that we're about to leave."

After clearing his throat, the elderly chief announced, "It'll just be the two of you for today. Kurosaki and Watari will come together and join you tomorrow. Just go ahead, and I'll personally inform him that you've officially gone ahead of them with Tatsumi."

The two former partners deeply looked into each other's eyes and nodded. After respectfully giving the elderly man a slight bow, they then dematerialized and disappeared for Kyoto.

**End of Chapter One**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	3. Rhymes and Reasons

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Two – Rhymes and Reasons**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form **JuOhCho**. This bureau's **Shokan Division** - the summons section - answers only to **EnmaDaiOh** and are the highest rankings employees in **Meifu.** **EnmaCho** is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_Shikigami_**_ are mythical and spiritual deities that can be summoned by those that they have agreed to serve. Most shinigamis can only summon two or three at best. Tsuzuki can summon twelve shikigamis._

**_Suzaku_**_, better known as Red Sparrow or Phoenix, is the fiery bird of death and rebirth. Referred to as "Nee-san" by just about everyone else close to her, including Tsuzuki, her human form is that of a dark-haired woman. Nearly everyday she picks a fight with Touda, another Fire type and another of Tsuzuki's shikigamis, where she wields a huge sword. Suzaku cares deeply for Tsuzuki, even to the point where she will appear and willfully disobey his orders in order to protect him. Suzaku is the guardian beast of the south._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

**_Touda_**_ is another Fire type and another of Tsuzuki's shikigamis. He appears as a black snake-like creature with the black fires of hell that can even kill a shinigami. As he says himself, he is a "bad" Fire type, referring to his personality and general attitude toward his master. However, because Tsuzuki gave him peace (something to do with coaxing Touda out of his prison in Tenkuu for some crime), Touda is willing to do whatever Tsuzuki says. Of course, he'll only do what Tsuzuki says and practically never acts on his own._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a good resource for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

As Tsuzuki and Tatsumi inconspicuously materialized in the heart of Kyoto, they readily blended in with the crowd. It was a little after one o'clock in the afternoon when they arrived.

The animated city's hustle and bustle did not provide a distraction for an unusually quiet Tsuzuki. Kyoto, to him, had always been beautiful. For him, it was such an irony that such a breathtaking city would hold too many bittersweet memories. After all, he and Tatsumi had many moments together in the quaintest places that the city had to offer.

Now, Tsuzuki was adding another piece to those memories by being with his former partner and lover, as well as being assigned to another case. As he tried to keep afloat from the suffocating mixture of emotions brewing within, he wondered if he could keep himself together. After all, this city – as beautiful as it was – almost claimed his sanity twice.

During Tsuzuki's younger days, he almost lost his mind when Tatsumi dumped him immediately after they killed and retrieved the soul of a young boy who did not want to die. It was just as if it were yesterday when that boy's tears drenched his shirt and shoulders before he nodded his head and closed his eyes for the last time. It did not matter to him either as to how much Tatsumi talked him out of his constantly gnawing guilt, nor did it matter how much he pacified and embraced the boy until he took his last breath. What mattered and plagued Tsuzuki to this very day was that the boy – as innocent and pure as he was – trusted and loved Tsuzuki. As much as his retrieval did not wish to die, the boy willingly went with him because he trusted and loved him that much.

Tsuzuki's more recent brush with insanity deeply scarred his soul. He remembered how Suzaku killed Ikaruga Mariko with her fiery breath as she protected him from harm. He recalled screaming for Suzaku to back down from killing Ikaruga, and accepting the inevitable that he – once again – caused someone's death. He also would never forget how he summoned Touda in his darkest moments of despair, so that the shikigami's flames would kill him.

It had been almost six long months since he stepped in Kyoto's soil. It had been almost six long months since his friends – especially Hisoka – brought him back from his suicidal insanity. Nonetheless, his wounds ran deep within the core of his being.

Now, he came back to Kyoto...

Bittersweet memories or not, he always enjoyed visiting the city – whether it be during his younger days with Tatsumi as his partner, or even now. With his hands deeply buried inside his long black trench coat and a heavy sigh, he walked alongside his former partner.

After walking in silence for about thirty minutes and crossing over the bridge they strolled together many times in the past, Tatsumi gazed sideways at his close friend. "Feel free to ask me that question of yours..."

Tsuzuki stared back at his former partner and lover with such curiosity and shock.

With a tightlipped smirk, Tatsumi muttered, "I can see it in your eyes, Tsuzuki. You're wondering why we came here ahead of them."

Looking ahead of them and then bowing his head in slight embarrassment, Tsuzuki further buried his hands in his trench coat pockets. He gave the other a gentle smile as he slightly blushed. Nonetheless there was a hint of sadness in his voice as he said, "You know me too well, don't you?"

Tatsumi withheld his response. His calculated steps stopped a few feet from the ShimoGamo Tea Ceremony Room. "Why don't we have lunch here?" Once Tsuzuki gave him a curious and hesitant look, he reassured him, "Don't worry about the bill. You can also order whatever dessert - or desserts - you wish to have after our meal."

For a moment, Tsuzuki's somber mood disappeared. His eyes lit up as he gave his handsome sable-haired companion an appreciative and dreamy grin. Eventually unable to hide his puppy-dog giddiness, as he thought of the establishment's famous Kyouyouba pudding within his reach, he hugged his companion.

With wide eyes, Tatsumi blushed out of a mixture of happiness, embarrassment, and surprise.

The smiling host seated the two men and allowed them to enjoy their first few cups of tea in silence.

"I really appreciate your friendship and care, Tatsumi. Thank you..." said Tsuzuki, as he looked at Tatsumi from across the table.

Pushing back his glasses towards the bridge of his nose, Tatsumi gave Tsuzuki an empathetic smile. "I told you before that I'll always be there for you. After all, we've been friends for a very long time."

Tsuzuki nodded in gratitude, and then asked after pouring more tea for them, "Exactly why are we here a day before the others?"

"The Chief really didn't want to give you this assignment. For the same reasons, I agree with him. EnmaDai-Oh, however, is insistent that you and Kurosaki would be the ones to make the retrieval."

"Please don't worry about me. I'm fine – really..."

Tatsumi shook his head in amusement, as he confirmed his former lover's predictable nature. He grinned, as he took his napkin and wiped the side of his companion's mouth. "You're still the same Tsuzuki that I know too well. Don't tell me that you won't be the least affected by this minor assignment of yours."

Silence transpired between them.

The spectacled Secretary of EnmaCho gazed into his former partner's eyes. "For the least part, you're curious as to why Troy Tsuuri has to die so young. For the most part, the memories of our assignment many years ago still haunt you. I almost lost you back then, and we almost lost you once more months ago."

A grim Tsuzuki looked into his now half-filled teacup. Minutes later, he murmured, "I'm such a contradiction. I take the lives of others and guide their souls back to the netherworld. The very nature of who I am, as well as what I do doesn't sit well with me...and I don't think that it ever will. People die either because they know me, or because I'm asked to kill them. For just a moment, I want some peace and clarity. I guess someone who has committed so many crimes doesn't deserve such luxuries."

Tatsumi maintained his silent and composed demeanor, as he sipped his tea and observed his companion.

Eventually, tears formed at the corner of Tsuzuki's eyes as he trembled. Feeling the first teardrop stream down his cheek, he looked downwards and sideways in embarrassment. He knew that the person sitting across the table from him – the one who he loved in so many ways, and had hurt him when they parted ways – would not want to see him in such a weakened state. Nonetheless, he could not help but think that his life – and afterlife – had been a cruel and torturous joke.

The two men respectively knew that the joke of a life – and afterlife – that Tsuzuki lived could ultimately cost him his sanity. At the same time, they both wished that Tsuzuki would not take anyone else with him as he spiraled down into the darkest despair and towards his doom. However, a small grain within Tsuzuki's being and a large portion of Tatsumi's heart hoped that the former would find the peace of mind and heart he earnestly sought for almost a century.

Tatsumi mused as he masked his growing sadness and guilt while refilling their teacups, "Did I just make him cry again? I already hurt him so much in the past, and I swore long ago that I would never do that to him ever again..."

Tsuzuki was right about himself. He was truly a contradiction...

For a shinigami whose role was to take lives, Tsuzuki used his powers to protect others – including the ones he was assigned to retrieve. No matter how much of a slacker he was in the eyes of others, his peers at the Shokan Division also knew that he treated his retrievals with such vulnerability and kindness. Even the twelve shikigami who vowed to serve him would go over and above the call of duty to protect their gentle friend and master. Although he took his job as a shinigami very seriously, his ways had the hint of idealistic innocence and purity of heart. Those who knew him very well also recognized that his compassion was his greatest strength and most debilitating weakness.

For someone who claimed the lives of others through his work, Tsuzuki also loved and protected others unconditionally.

Tatsumi knew this fact very well about Tsuzuki. If it were not for his own guilt brought about by his past, he would have never given up being his partner and lover. Self-preservation and thinking that it would be best for them to keep emotionally distant from each other, he gave up one of the most precious people in his afterlife.

Nonetheless, Tatsumi felt that he could still be with Tsuzuki in another way, shape, or form.

Tatsumi reached out across the table and placed his hand over Tsuzuki's already-trembling right hand. With a smile that expressed its owner's desire to do more for the other, he wiped away his companion's tears with the back of his fingers. "Punishing yourself would not solve anything, nor would it give you the peace you've always wanted. That's why I asked you to come with me a day ahead of the others. You need to know what this minor case is all about, so that you'd have time to think things through after what you see and hear tonight. The circumstances behind this case aren't the same as that kid we were assigned to retrieve years ago."

"Just what are we supposed to do in Kyoto today, Tatsumi?"

"We'll enjoy the rest of the day together. As soon as the sun sets, we'll pay Tsuuri Troy a visit. After visiting him, you can talk to me if you need me. I'll be around until Kurosaki and Watari join you tomorrow."

As amethyst deeply gazed into azure, Tsuzuki nodded and smiled. Feeling as if a great part of his burden was temporarily lifted, he and Tatsumi then talked about more pleasant things...matters that did not have anything to do with work.

* * *

Dusk finally settled over Kyoto.

As agreed upon, Tatsumi and Tsuzuki non-corporeally appeared before the footsteps of Troy Tsuuri's home. The door to the house was left wide open for neighbors to feel free come and go as they please.

When the two of them were about to enter the home to observe, Tsuzuki could not help but hear one neighbor rant, "He brought nothing but bad luck to his family since he was born."

The second neighbor – an elderly woman who had a permanent and malicious scowl on her face – huffed, "Come to think of it, his sister had always been there to fend for him. Yet even she wasn't spared. If she didn't leave the house that night to watch some stupid school play of his, then she would still be alive today. Even the grandfather wasn't spared. Would you just imagine that the young man has to bury two people tomorrow?"

An arrogant-looking middle-aged man scoffed, "What do you expect from a freak of nature? Up to this very day, no one knows who or what his father is. He brought nothing but bad luck, misery, and death to everyone around him. The old man should've given up that bad luck grandson of his to the orphanage, especially since keeping the bastard tarnished the family's reputation."

A good-natured looking young woman in her early twenties gazed at the house and lamentably commented, "Too bad, especially since he's very good looking and intelligent. I wonder what would happen now that his sister and grandfather are now dead."

The first neighbor leaned towards the other three and interjected with a whisper, "You shouldn't feel sorry for a spawn. Looks can be deceiving, you know. Beneath his angelic face is the devil. I wouldn't be surprised if he, or the boy's father, was directly responsible for killing his sister and the old man. Who knows? The boy may turn against us if nothing's done to change the situation."

Tsuzuki, clenching his teeth and teary-eyed from anger, was so sickened from what he heard. It was as if he was forced to relive his childhood years of ostracism and discrimination. He closed his eyes, as he breathed in and tried to regain his self-control.

Tatsumi, also infuriated over what he just heard, consolingly tapped on Tsuzuki's shoulder. At this point, he wondered why EnmaDai-Oh wanted Tsuzuki and Hisoka to spearhead this retrieval. To him, this very scene was just reopening old wounds from Tsuzuki's past. If he already could not stand what he was hearing, then what more of his more sensitive companion?

Remaining invisible, the two went inside the home and eventually stood side by side a few feet from Tsuuri Troy.

The 18-year-old young man sat on the floor before a shrine for his loved ones who recently died – his older sister and his grandfather. Before the photographs, his loved ones' actual remains, and the burning incense, he stayed deep in meditation. From his closed eyes, one could tell that he had been crying for a while. He also had some bruises on his face and a split lip that were just beginning to heal.

What they could not get over with was the innocence – and the suffering – painted on the young man's face. It was as if his heart had been ripped away from him and broken a million pieces many times in his young life.

Tsuzuki then held back his shock – the woman whose picture was now reverently displayed at the shrine and the one who became the latest murder victim were the same person. Tatsumi, as startled as Tsuzuki was, managed to hide his emotions as always.

The young man's body quivered as he sobbed...

Tsuzuki, who bit his lip as he held himself back from materializing, wanted to console the grieving even for just a second. For some reason, he could tell that the young man's pain ran deep within his being. After many more minutes of silence passed by, he then asked his companion, "When's the deadline for this case? When are we supposed to take him to Meifu?"

Tatsumi, whose left arm was crossed in front of his chest as his right hand pushed back his glasses, responded, "You have exactly one week from tomorrow."

"I see..."

"That's why I told you that his case is much different from our other assignment years ago. Why would you want to prolong someone's agony by letting someone who had been begging for death live as an outcast? His name appeared in the kiseki five months ago because the bullying and discrimination against him became more frequent, and he's slowly losing his will to live more and more each passing day. The only ones who kept his hopes alive were his grandfather and sister. A different group of boys beat him up almost a week ago and left him for dead if the grandfather didn't show up in time to stop it. Now that his only loved ones are gone, it'll be just a matter of time before someone claims his life."

Tsuzuki stared at the young man with such compassion. "Hisoka and I are asked to retrieve him as an act of mercy, so that the beatings and discrimination would stop?"

"If you put it that way, yes," replied Tatsumi with a sad look on his face.

"Poor kid... He's as young as Hisoka, yet we've been sent here to reclaim him. Why would people treat others so cruelly?"

Being careful with his words in order not to cause further tension for the shinigami, Tatsumi explained, "There are indications that his father might have some supernatural origins. When you think about it, the world of the living may not be for him."

Raising an eyebrow, Tsuzuki asked, "So those whispers coming from those rabble-rousers turn out to be true? If this world is not for him, then how certain are we that the land of the dead is for him?"

"Tsuuri's neighbors do the things that they do out of ignorance. JuOhCho confirmed that he has powers, but has chosen to have them dormant since he wanted a normal life. As to whether his parentage has something to do with his powers, or what the fullest extent of his powers may be, we don't know. No matter how hard Tsuuri tries to live a peaceful and normal life, the neighbors' fears and ignorance has already turned against him a long time ago."

After giving Tsuzuki time to absorb his words, Tatsumi continued, "You have two choices. You and Kurosaki can end his misery and reclaim him, or you can allow him to die from the cruelty of others. Either way, his death is long overdue. Chief Konoe's giving you leniency as to how you'd like to handle and close this case. What's important is that you're there when he dies, so that you can quickly guide his soul back to Meifu."

Tsuzuki heavily sighed. "I understand..."

Tatsumi stood closer to his companion, wrapped an arm around him, and explained in the gentlest voice that he could possibly muster, "Listen, my friend... I know that seeing this is hard for you. EnmaDai-Oh wanted you to get this assignment. He thinks that you, out of all people, would understand this young man's predicament the most. Don't let your compassion for others become your greatest foe. If you were in Tsuuri's shoes, how would you like your retrieval to be handled?"

Giving his latest assignment a transfixed and sad glance, he replied, "I always reserve a different answer when it pertains to me. I would choose to die. For Troy, however, I'll have him choose his path."

Without removing his gaze at the young man, Tatsumi asked his companion, "Are you going to be okay, Tsuzuki? I'll always be here if you need me."

Tsuzuki smiled and nodded his head. His amethyst eyes slightly twinkled as he pursed his lips. "It's been a long day. Tatsumi, would you like to take a long evening stroll going towards the bridge – for old time's sake?"

"For old time's sake..." responded Tatsumi with a warm grin as the two of them disappeared – each one trying to reminisce happier times while thinking of the one they just left behind in his sorrow.

**End of Chapter Two**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	4. Undercover

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Three – Undercover**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** - the summons section - answers only to EnmaDaiOh and are the highest rankings employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_The Castle of Candles_**_ (also known as the Hall of Candles in the English dub) is the place in Meifu where each candle represents a human life. As soon as the candle runs out and its flame dies, so ends one's life. The Castle also has a psychological effect, since it reveals the innermost darkness, desires, fears, and sorrows of the mind and heart - especially humans. _

**_The Earl_**_ (also known as The Count in the English dub) is the master of the _**_Castle of Candles. _**_The Earl's body is invisible, so in the manga and anime his appearance is marked by his trademark 1/3rd of a white mask (similar to what the Phantom wore in Phantom of the Opera) and the clothes that he wears. Konoe and the Earl are very good friends and have mutual respect for each other. Tatsumi and the Earl hate each other, and at times could not resist dropping the gloves and the civility that comes along with it. Tsuzuki and the Earl have a complicated friendship wherein Tsuzuki asks favors from the Earl (such as prolonging one's life such as in The Last Waltz manga chapter), and the Earl keeps count of the favors he has extended in hopes to cash in one day (I don't need to elaborate as to how...I'll leave it to your imaginations to do so) ;-D Nonetheless, the Earl deeply cares for Tsuzuki over and above the lust that he has for our amethyst-eyed shinigami._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_Sagatanas _**_was the demonic leader of the spirit wanderers and the main villain in the Devil's Trill story arc. He entered a contract with Tatsuya Otonashi, who described him as an enormous devil with black wings on the night he entered into a pact with the devil. In exchange for Otonashi's soul, Sagatanas marked his seal on Otonashi's left eye, made him into a famous violinist, and gave a comfortable life for his daughter. Once the contract was fulfilled via Otonashi's death, Otonashi must give up his daughter's life over to Sagatanas. Sagatanas was second-in-command to Grand Duke Ashtarote, the leader of the demonic world, before the shinigami worked together to save Tsuzuki and vanquish him in EnmaCho._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a reference for me to further understanding the series. By the way, just so that I'm making it perfectly clear for everyone...most (if not all) of the explanations for the terminology section are found in Theria's website._

* * *

"So how are Tsuzuki and Tatsumi doing?"

Chief Konoe took a long thoughtful sip of Darjeeling tea from his cup before he responded, "Tatsumi said that they're fine, considering that the circumstances behind the minor case may be too hard for Tsuzuki to swallow."

The Earl, after taking a sip from his own teacup, murmured, "I just hope that dear Tsuzuki has the solution to this Tsuuri Troy dilemma. I wonder how a human who has been on the kiseki for five months and wants to die is still alive. Every time that his candle's about to flicker and die, its flame revives seconds later."

Leaning back on his chair, Konoe looked straight ahead across the long table. "The boy's rumored to have supernatural parentage. He has spiritual powers. As to where those powers actually come from, that still remains to be seen."

"Hmm... What about this new string of murders in Kyoto?"

"No leads, so far. Watari and Kurosaki were left behind in the office to do research. They'll join the other two in Kyoto tomorrow."

The Earl placed down his teacup and interlaced his fingers before him. After a long moment of silence, he then remarked, "I'm glad that Tsuzuki and Kurosaki are getting along well as partners. They seem to bring out the best of each other. You are aware that these two assignments are very dangerous in their own regard, especially for Tsuzuki."

The two men kept their silence for a couple of minutes longer. Eventually, the Earl broke the ice and continued, "Tsuzuki's special in so many ways, Konoe. Kyoto's very much alive in his memory and nightmares. No matter what pretenses he puts up for all to see, that pain's still in his heart."

With a bittersweet and agreeing smile, Konoe replied, "EnmaDai-Oh figured that Tsuzuki was the best man for retrieving Troy Tsuuri. With the complexity of the serial murders in Kyoto, I need his skills to solve the case along with Watari and Hisoka. I had no choice but to assign him in Kyoto. No matter how much precaution we take for Tsuzuki's sake, we still can't help but worry about his well-being."

"I'm also worried about him. This Castle revealed the darkness, despair, and fears inside his heart. It'll take time before he realizes and accepts the events in Kyoto as eventualities beyond his control. If there's anything that I can do to help, then please let me know. I'll do anything for that child..."

"I know that, Earl. I won't hesitate to ask for help when the time comes..." The elderly chief then gave a slight and grateful bow to his host.

After their customary ritual of sharing tea and stories for a couple of hours, a more relieved Konoe left the Castle of Candles and returned to the office.

The Earl, on the other hand, informed Watson that he was retiring for the evening. Entering his office, turning on his computer, and whiling the hours away viewing digital pictures of Tsuzuki, he lamented, "Ah, my dear handsome child... No matter how much your heart questions it, you've always been a human being. You're as flawed, anguished, confused, compassionate, beautiful, and wonderful as a human being could ever get. Don't ever let that darkness in your heart make you forget that many people love you for who you are..."

* * *

Watari Yutaka and Kurosaki Hisoka had been poring through countless digital records of unsolved cases, demonic profiles, and any other data that could help them in this new case. Watari's pet owl, 003, remained perched on her master's shoulders and watched as the monitor panned out one file or picture after another.

So far, they sat together inside Watari's office in dead silence until...

"That's strange..." said Watari as he broke his transfixed position and made 003 hoot in surprise. "Take a look at this..."

Hisoka glanced sideways, rose from his chair, stood behind Watari, and stared at the screen. "Did you find anything?"

The scientific shinigami leaned forward and pointed at the monitor. "This six-pointed star's really a mystery to me. I've cross-referenced hexagrams against demonic entities that use or answer to that symbol."

Hisoka rubbed his already-strained eyes, and then refocused them at the shared monitor.

Zooming in on hexagram, Watari was able to reveal more than just the six-pointed star. Pointing at the monitor, he told his companion, "I noticed this morning that there were squiggly lines in the middle of the hexagram. As you can see, the squiggly lines are actually anagrams encased in a circle."

"What does it say?"

As Watari leaned against his chair, 003 gently flew and comfortably rested on his lap. While stroking 003 and being soothed from the owl's gentle hoots, he explained, "I've never encountered these inscriptions before. I wouldn't be surprised if it's another demonic dialect – similar to what Sagatanas used when he entered the contract with Tatsuya Otonashi. However, the conjurer scrambled the code in a much more complicated fashion than Sagatanas. I need about an hour or two to crack this code."

A frowning Hisoka then asked, "What about the hexagram itself? Why would someone – or something – carve that symbol on the victims' chests?"

After letting out a long and tired sigh, the scientist said, "It's sometimes used for extraction, summoning, or entrapping rituals. It'll take time before I can cut down this long list of possibilities by half."

The young man's expressive eyes went wide. "Did you just say extraction, as in _extracting_ souls?"

"It could be anything – souls, demons, or any entity. To actually know why that hexagram was carved on each victim's chest, we have to find out who the culprit is."

"Almost all the victims have supernatural powers and their souls are missing," murmured Hisoka as he went deeper in thought.

A tightlipped Watari nodded his head in agreement. "I'll keep that angle on top of our list."

"You're both working late as well?"

Recognizing the voice and the approaching footsteps, Hisoka and Watari turned around as the younger shinigami explained, "Yes, Boss. We just want to cover all bases before we do the field work."

After his two subordinates shared what they have uncovered through research, Konoe leaned against the nearby desk. "Speaking of field work, Tatsumi filled me in hours ago on their progress. Arrangements have been made for the four of you to go undercover at St. Andrew's Academy in Kyoto. Tatsumi will explain the rest once you rendezvous with them in the morning."

The two gave each other, and then Chief Konoe baffled looks.

Konoe faintly smiled. "Tsuuri Troy, your retrieval case, attends school there. Tatsumi and Tsuzuki already started the legwork this evening." As the two shinigami nodded their heads, the elderly chief's voice reflected the strain of a long workday as he asked, "So I assume that you're both ready to join them tomorrow?"

As his response, Watari nodded his head and then said, "There's definitely occult or demonic connection to this case. We're still not done with analyzing the information that we have so far, but we already identified a couple of good leads."

* * *

"Tsuuri Troy..."

An 18-year-old young woman, dressed in the white sailor collar blouse and burgundy skirt uniform for St. Andrew's Academy, raised her hand.

Tsuzuki Asato's lifted his eyes from the class list and diverted his attention from the roll call. He noticed from the corner of his eye a raised hand within the crowd of ogling schoolgirls peppered among their male peers. With a gentle smile, he gestured and asked, "You are -"

She stood up and gave a slight bow of respect. "Aiko... Ikuru Aiko, Sensei..." After Tsuzuki gave her a warm nod of permission, much to the envy and protest of her female peers, she explained, "Troy's still absent today, Sensei."

Feigning ignorance, the undercover shinigami posing as a substitute Social Studies teacher inquired, "Is he sick, Miss Ikuru?"

With sadness laced in her voice and written on her face, she said, "Today's the funeral for his sister and grandfather."

There were whispers shared among some of the students, making Tsuzuki and Hisoka stare at each other. Tsuzuki then excused himself when he saw that the vice-principal standing outside his classroom door – the latter holding a package of school materials for Tsuzuki.

During that brief moment of distraction, a burly-built male student named Kota Senji snickered. "Well, demon boy has to clean up the mess that he made. Plus, we also get spared from seeing his ugly face for another day."

Laughter broke out from a particular bunch of students in the class, all of them seated closely to the student. The rest either nodded in agreement or remained disinterested.

Aiko sat down and glared at the male classmate sitting a few chair behind her from the right. "Why do you always have to be so spiteful and mean, Senji?"

A female student with long brown hair brushed her bangs aside. Sporting a twisted smile that marred her innocent-looking face, she blurted out, "It's so predictable that demon-lover Aiko defends that freak!"

Aiko gave that student a venomous stare. "You're so full of it, Tia! If Troy's a freak, then why do you keep asking him out for a date? You're envious because he kept turning you down for a date, even though you've hounded him for one like the sick dog that you are!"

The class roared in laughter – even the ones who were in allegiance with Tia and Senji. As Tia and Senji gave their respective dagger looks, the flustered young woman said through gritted teeth, "You'll pay for that insult, Ikuru Aiko! No one messes with me and gets away with it!"

Knowing that she just gained the upper hand, Aiko snickered and faced the blackboard.

Tsuzuki – angered and saddened by the animosity that he overheard – bade goodbye to the vice-principal and returned to his class. He cleared his throat and announced in a controlled voice, "Open your books to page 168..."

Class flew by quickly for everyone else but Tsuzuki and Hisoka.

Hisoka, posing as a transfer student, read his partner's emotions loud and clear. He also read the conflicting plethora of emotions coming from the class, particularly Aiko's and Senji's feelings. He could not blame Tsuzuki for feeling sad and angry over the morning's incident, especially since he and his partner suffered persecution and discrimination in their respective past. He wanted class to be over with, so that the heavy stream of emotions coming from all sources would stop bombarding him.

As the last student left the classroom, Tsuzuki asked his partner, "Are you all right, Hisoka? You seem a little pale."

Rubbing circles around his temple and closing his eyes, Hisoka said, "It's just been a long day, that's all..."

Sitting right beside his partner, Tsuzuki then proposed, "We have the perfect excuse to visit Troy today. Since we're new to the school, the four of us could introduce ourselves and pay our respects at the same time. I can also give him the assigned homework for today."

Keeping his eyes closed, Hisoka nodded his agreement. "That's fine. I'll share with him my class notes."

Tsuzuki, with dreamy amethyst eyes and a giddy smile, leaned closer to his partner. "You actually took notes from class today? Oh, I didn't know that I inspire you that much as a teacher..."

Hisoka forced his eyes open and spat, "No, you idiot! I had to take notes, or people would get suspicious!"

The older shinigami leaned against the chair and stared into his partner's eyes. "You make it sound as if everyone's eyes were glued on you during class."

Being reminded of his minor ordeal, the young man replied with a more prominent frown, "They were staring at you _and_ me. Why do you think I have a bad headache right now?"

Tsuzuki gave an amused smile, knowing fully well that the young women – and some of the young men – considered Hisoka as wholesome and luscious eye-candy. After he flexed his arms to relieve some tension, he leaned closer to the chair in front of him and rested his head. His eyes lit up as he stared at Hisoka. "Well, I wouldn't blame them for ogling at you all day. I'd love to stare at you all day, but I have a class to teach and I won't get any work done..."

Hisoka blushed profusely.

This time, Tsuzuki's grin became more dreamy and generous. "Absence _does_ make the heart grow fonder. Did anyone tell you that you're so adorable whenever you blush?" He then winked at his partner.

Hisoka scowled as his cheeks became brighter red. "Shut up!"

"Getting all miffed doesn't help either, Hisoka. You're still very cute – especially when you're angry and blushing at the same time. I'd love to just hang around and stare at you all day, but we still have work to do." He then winked at his partner once more, rose from his chair, turned around, and walked towards the door.

The two partners barely walked a few feet before Tatsumi and Watari joined them. Tatsumi's eyes rested on Hisoka as the four of them walked together. "Kurosaki, are you all right? Your face is very flushed right now..."

"He's fine. He has a headache," replied Tsuzuki with a grin and a wink.

Tatsumi and Watari hid their amusement, cleared their throats, and looked away from the other two.

As the four men reached outside the school grounds and got some fresh air, Tsuzuki glanced sideways and proposed to the rest, "Since our long day's not over yet, let us have a late lunch somewhere before we go to Troy Tsuuri's house. I'm starving."

Hisoka, with his head still throbbing from his headache, protested with such irritation, "We just ate a couple of hours ago! Good grief, can you think of anything else aside from your stomach?"

"I'm up for it," interjected Watari while 003 hooted her agreement. "The first day of school always saps me out, and the food here isn't that great."

Hisoka shook his head over his partner's childlike antics.

"Maybe a little food in your stomach would alleviate that headache of yours, Kurosaki-kun. We'll stop by for some tea and a light meal. Afterwards, we'll head out to Tsuuri's house," said Tatsumi with a suppressed smile, knowing that he just made Tsuzuki so giddy inside.

Hours later, when dusk began to settle, the four took a stroll heading towards Tsuuri Troy's home. Upon reaching the wide field covered with tall blades of grass, the three elder ones became concerned as their youngest companion suddenly cringed and eventually fell to his knees.

The empath, with sweat beading on his forehead, said through gritted teeth. "Over there..."

Following the direction that Hisoka pointed at, Tsuzuki ran across the grassy field. Ignoring the blades of grass, as they began to cut him, he continued his frantic search until he stopped and screamed, "Tatsumi! Help me out here!"

By this time, a psychically overloaded Hisoka fainted into Watari's arms and slipped into unconsciousness.

Tatsumi darted through the grassy area until he stood side-by-side with Tsuzuki. His eyes went wide and he froze upon seeing a battered, bleeding, and unconscious Troy.

"He was stabbed in the stomach many times," said Tsuzuki with panic reflected in his eyes and laced in his voice. He removed his trench coat, bared his smooth chest as he ripped his shirt off without undoing the buttons, tore his shirt in half, and tied the pieces of fabric to stop the incessant flow of blood from the young man's wound.

The same wave of fear coursed through Tatsumi's system, as he felt sorry for Tsuzuki and Troy. Nonetheless, he kept his sentiments and composure while he mused, "His wounds are too many and very deep... I don't know how Tsuzuki would take this, but it'll be a miracle if Tsuuri lives through this..."

**End of Chapter Three**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	5. Dangerous Liaisons

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Four – Dangerous Liaisons**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** – the summons section – answers only to EnmaDaiOh and are the highest rankings (but the lowest paid) employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a reference for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

In one of the private laboratories in Kyoto Memorial Hospital, Doctor Kawasawa produced a Ziploc bag containing a bloodstained knife and three vials of blood. After wearing latex gloves, he removed some of the un-coagulated blood from the knife and prepped it on a glass slide.

An hour later, after running a series of tests and microscopic observations on the blood, he could not help but smirk about his success. Picking up the phone and dialing a number by memory, he then told the person on the other line, "I've stumbled on something that will pique your interest. You've pointed me to the right direction."

The person on the other line uttered in quiet sarcasm, "Oh, really? Knowing you very well, you'd like something in return."

Without hesitation, Kawasawa replied, "I'd like funding for this upcoming project that I'm proposing, as well as your endorsement to the hospital Board members. I think that that request is reasonable, considering that I had to do dirty work for you."

An audible chuckle came loud and clear from the other end of the line. "You have the nerve to ask two things for the price of one? Either you're too arrogantly stupid, or you think that you have something of great value to me – something far greater than what I've expected you to gather for me."

Playfully wrapping his hands around the telephone cord, an unabashed Kawasawa countered, "You'll want to get your hands on this information. Does four-thirty this afternoon sound good to you?"

Deafening silence followed before the person on the other line remarked, "Once I find out that you've just wasted my time, your pathetic reputation would not be the only thing at stake."

After letting out a cocky laughter, Kawasawa said, "If I were you, then you should be careful whenever you threaten someone who knows your darkest secrets. I can easily pull you down as well...."

"I'll see you at four-thirty, then..." confirmed the person on the other line before hanging up the telephone.

* * *

Hisoka's eyes fluttered, and the first sight that he saw was Tsuzuki. He tried to get up, but his surroundings began to spin immediately after that attempt.

Tsuzuki rose from his chair and tried to help his partner back to bed. For a split second, he was taken aback when Hisoka swept his hand away and struggled to sit upright. Nonetheless, the elder shinigami pushed any wounded feelings aside and told the young man, "You're in EnmaCho's infirmary. How are you feeling?"

By this time, and much to his silent protest, Hisoka eventually allowed his partner help him back to bed. Once he was comfortable once more, he asked Tsuzuki, "What happened? How long have I been out?"

"You've been unconscious for almost a day. You fainted and your nose bled for a while. Thanks to you, we saw Troy Tsuuri just in time."

Hisoka gazed into his partner's eyes and stammered, "I – I felt him. His emotions ran strong, and I couldn't handle it."

Seeing that the younger shinigami was becoming tenser by the second, Tsuzuki said, "We've all had a long day yesterday, especially you. Try to get some rest...."

Although weakened, Hisoka's exasperation reflected in his voice. "You don't understand.... I overloaded, and it shouldn't have happened that way...."

Tsuzuki stroked his partner's blonde locks – moving them away from the latter's eyes. At first, Hisoka brushed his hand away a couple of times with a mixture of irritation and panic. Nonetheless, he did not give up. He smiled, as he saw how his touch began to pacify Hisoka.

Minutes later, the younger shinigami closed his eyes once more and fell asleep.

As Tsuzuki stared at his sleeping partner, he murmured, "Thank God that you're okay, Hisoka. The last thing that I wanted was for something bad to happen to you...."

"Tsuzuki..."

Tsuzuki turned around and saw a tightlipped Tatsumi Seiichiro - the one who just called his name - standing nearby. Rising from his seat, he stepped outside the room and closed the door to Hisoka's room behind him. As every second passed, his heart raced faster. Aside from his partner, there was another person who he worried about....

Tatsumi, knowing who the other person was in his former partner's mind, reassured Tsuzuki, "He's okay now. He's sedated and resting, as we speak...."

Tsuzuki closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

"Wait, there's more..." said the Secretary of EnmaCho as he pushed back his glasses. "He's still in bad shape, but not bad enough to be hospitalized for more than another day."

With eyes wide in disbelief, Tsuzuki blurted out, "He's been stabbed numerous times! He was on the brink of death when we found him!"

"You and I saw those deep stab wounds in his abdomen and chest...."

"Yes...."

"Watari didn't see the severe wounds that we saw last night. Today, there's almost nothing left to be seen and his broken ribs are healing quickly."

It took a while before Tsuzuki finally understood the gist of Tatsumi's words. His eyes went wider still, as he muttered under his breath, "His body regenerated? How did that happen?"

"I don't know. Watari's running a couple of tests...."

The two shared many minutes of silence together, as they stood side-by-side at the infirmary hallway. Avoiding any eye contact, Tsuzuki's heart grew heavier the more that he thought about Troy. Tatsumi, on the other hand, leaned against the wall and waited in silence - giving the other as much time as he needed to sort out his thoughts.

Leaning his head on Tatsumi's shoulders for comfort, an exhausted Tsuzuki mumbled, "That kid's supposed to have six more days to live...."

"Just remember, Tsuzuki, that you're not alone in this situation. This burden's not yours alone to carry," said Tatsumi with a gentle smile. He felt that the unresolved matters between his former partner and him, as well as the deep pains associated with their bitter parting, cleared itself through the passage of time. He felt much better inside as he just confirmed that Tsuzuki still trusted and cared for him.

The conversation between them was cut short, as Gushoshin Elder floated through the infirmary halls. "Tsuzuki-san, Tatsumi-san.... Chief Konoe wants to see both of you right away. There's been another murder in Kyoto."

Minutes flew by as the two former partners ran to the investigation room where Chief Konoe waited. Gushoshin Elder's feathery figure followed a few feet behind them.

A tightlipped Chief Konoe sighed as soon as the two new arrivals grabbed a seat before him. "A Kota Senji is dead. After the murderer mangled the body, a hexagram was placed on the victim's chest."

Tsuzuki's face went pale upon seeing the picture projected on the wall. "This kid was the one who bullied Troy. It's also possible that he was the one who beat and stabbed him last night."

The elderly chief's furrowed brows met, as he stared at Tsuzuki. "Did the victim have supernatural powers?"

"I don't know. He didn't strike me as such...."

After many minutes of dead silence, Tatsumi broke the ice and inquired, "Wasn't Troy's sister the victim before Senji Kota?"

With pursed lips, a deep in thought Tsuzuki replied, "Yes."

"I wonder...."

Chief Konoe and Tsuzuki stared at each other, and then at Tatsumi. Seeing Tatsumi grab the stack of photographs beside the projector, they followed him as he marched towards the infirmary room where Troy Tsuuri rested.

* * *

After fifteen minutes' worth of setting up, Doctor Kawasawa asked his four-thirty appointment, "I did what you've asked, and I think that this is it.... What do you think?"

"I'll be the final judge...." said Muraki Kazutaka, as he looked at the specimen under the microscope and made the necessary adjustments to sharpen the image. Slipping his hand inside his white trench coat pocket, he produced a dark brown bottle full of liquid and shook it. Without removing his sights on the specimen via microscope, he opened the bottle, pressed the dropper, and allowed the precious drops of the mysterious liquid to mix with the specimen.

The crimson specimen's integrity stayed the same, in spite of the liquid's normally volatile and coagulating effect upon contact with blood.

Muraki let out a victorious chuckle as he glanced behind him. "Very good! For once in your life, you've proven to be useful. I say that we should celebrate."

Kawasawa frowned and stared at Muraki, as the latter poured fine red wine into two glasses that he brought along with him.

With a sly smile, Muraki asked, "What? You don't trust me, do you? This is fine Rosé that you're turning down, my friend...."

Tension-filled silence filled the room.

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll do this...." Muraki took the glass, drank one-fourth of its contents, and then proceeded to do the same with the other.

Kawasawa did not move.

Staring at Kawasawa's eyes, the handsome platinum-blonde doctor asked with pursed lips, "Now do you trust me?" He then gestured for the other to take any one of the two glasses of wine before them.

As his doubts ceased, Kawasawa took the glass from the left and took a sip. He nervously smiled, feeling stupid for having paranoid thoughts that Muraki would be bold enough to kill him at the hospital.

Shortly thereafter, the glass of wine in his hand shattered as he fell on the floor.

With eyes going wide as his body went into spasms, he stammered, "H – How?"

An amused Muraki knelt beside Kawasawa. Leaning towards his victim, he seductively whispered in his ear, "My research also branched out to DNA-specific poisons. One of the blood samples that I have used for my research happens to be yours. The wine is laced with that customized poison – intended to kill you with just a single drop once introduced in your system. However, the poison leaves anyone else unharmed no matter how much is consumed. I waited for the day to unleash it. Thanks to you and your lovely invitation for an afternoon rendezvous, I now know that my research is successful."

Muraki silently chuckled for every second that Kawasawa writhed before him. "You were right not to trust me, and you've made a fatal mistake when you threatened me. Now you'll carry my secrets with you to your grave, and the autopsy will show nothing."

Just as Muraki uttered his last word, Kawasawa's spasms then ceased. The victim's frightened eyes were left wide open once he took his last painful breath.

The platinum-blonde doctor did not waste any time. He pored through Kawasawa's specimens with his gloved hands. After stealing everything that he needed, which was vials filled with blood and a couple of file folders, he then called the front desk. In a frantic voice, he told the nurses that Kawasawa collapsed and died.

Once the orderlies took Kawasawa's body to the morgue, Muraki left the hospital looking distraught on the surface. As he walked through the parking lot towards his car, he clutched the blood sample tubes inside his coat as if he had gold inside his pocket. Thinking of the many possibilities that he had uncovered in this visit, he could not help but smile and muse, "Tsuuri Troy.... You may be just the person – or spawn – that I've been looking for...."

**End of Chapter Four**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters Troy Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, Doctor Kawasawa, and other original characters and venues that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	6. Confrontation

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Five – Confrontation**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** – the summons section – answers only to EnmaDaiOh and are the highest rankings (but the lowest paid) employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_Jii-san _**_is grandfather in Japanese._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shion University_**_ appears in the Kyoto Files manga and anime arc. The University is a pioneer in cloning research. In the Kyoto story arc, Muraki regularly visits Doctor Satomi - a mentor of his during his university days. I'm not sure, though, if Muraki himself has attended the university. Doctor Satomi, through Muraki's help, conducts illegal cloning research inside his private lab in the university. Muraki also has a secret lab underground, where he keeps his stepbrother's head alive (don't know how the man does it) and where he takes the kidnapped Tsuzuki. Eventually, Tsuzuki orders Touda - one of his shikigamis - to appear and burn the university along with him. Tsuzuki, in the end due to Hisoka's pleading and Tatsumi's Shadow Magic, is saved but Touda's flames burn the university down._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a reference for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

Waking up from another bad dream, a sweating and delirious Tsuuri Troy bolted out of bed and felt excruciating pain lance through his chest and abdomen. Once seated, he felt dizzy and flushed. He slowly opened his eyes once more.

Cherry blossoms were in full bloom outside the window, providing such a calming ambiance.

Startled and in awe at the beautiful sight outside the window, as well as his foreign surroundings, he made an accidentally abrupt move. As another series of painful spasms tortured him further, he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes to endure the pain.

Immediately thereafter, he felt a warm hand rest on his back and its owner say, "Take it easy, kid. You're safe now."

Watery charcoal gray eyes eventually focused on the handsome spectacled scientist with the long wavy blonde locks. Feeling a little pacified from Watari's voice and touch, as well as being awestruck from the breathtaking sight outside his window, the semi-delirious young man stared at Watari and 003 – Watari's pet owl. "I – Is this heaven? Are you an angel?"

The blonde scientist gave his patient a flattered grin, while 003 cooed her amusement.

One of the new arrivals, who stood by the door situated on the right, shook his head in amusement as he replied, "If it's any consolation to you, this place isn't hell, either. You're in EnmaCho's infirmary. I'm Chief Konoe from the Shokan Division. My men found you in the fields."

Once Chief Konoe came inside the room, Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and the Gushoshin twins followed suit. They all stood around the right side of the bed and took precaution not to make Troy panic or uncomfortable.

After everyone else introduced himself, the puzzled patient inquired, "EnmaCho? Shokan Division? Am I in trouble?"

The elderly chief gave the inquirer a reassuring smile. "You're not in trouble. We brought you here to tend your wounds."

Watari wore his glasses once more after wiping them with the edge of his lab coat. Looking at his patient, he then asked, "Who did this to you?"

"A couple of bullies from school and the neighborhood blocked my path. I was on my way home from visiting my sister's and grandfather's graves."

Tsuzuki's forehead crinkled as his amethyst eyes reflected his empathy over what he just heard. "Are those bullies the same ones who've been harassing you all this time?"

Closing his eyes, as he felt dizzy and slightly nauseous, Troy replied, "Mostly... However, this is the first time that they've done something this drastic..."

Tatsumi approached the bed and handed the patient a stack of photographs. In the most gentle voice that he could possibly muster, the azure-eyed Secretary of EnmaCho said as the other gave him a worried look, "Tsuuri-kun, we're investigating a series of murders in Kyoto. I'd like you to go over these. Let us know if you recognize anyone in these pictures."

For each picture that Troy examined, the more that his brows furrowed. Not understanding why these pictures were being shown to him, he paused after examining the fifth photograph and stared into the eyes of his visitors. After a tightlipped Tatsumi requested him through subtle gestures to continue examining the stack of pictures, he continued.

The room became quieter as the second-to-the-last picture took its turn for scrutiny.

Everyone fell quiet as Troy stared long and hard on the second-to-the-last picture in his hand. With such disbelief written all over his face, he then did his best to divert his overwhelmed emotions by looking at the last photograph. He turned paler upon recognizing the last murder victim. Before returning the stack of pictures to Tatsumi, he looked at the photograph that he stared at the longest once more with such sadness.

The azure-eyed man gave the patient a few moments to recover from shock before hinting, "You know every single victim appearing in these stack of photographs, don't you?"

Still pale, a clammy-skinned Troy weakly nodded his head. "Yes... Some of them were friends. The others were bullies. The last two were Tsuuri Yuta and Kota Senji. Yuta was my older twin sister, and Senji was a classmate at Saint Andrews' Academy."

Watari stood at the left-hand corner of the room. Seeing that the patient needed his rest, he looked at his peers with subtle forewarning to cut their interrogation short.

Tsuzuki, taking the hint, gave Troy a gentle smile as his amethyst eyes reflected comforting reassurance. "As of now, you don't have anything to worry about except rest and recovery. No one will harm you here. Once you're much better, we'll talk again about this..."

Watari and Tsuzuki helped the patient comfortably lie down - with the blonde scientist fixing the pillows and the dark-haired shinigami tucking the young man to bed. By this time, the men from the Shokan Division could tell that the young man felt less panicked.

With the sedative that Watari administered earlier taking effect, Troy's eyelids felt heavier by the second. He eventually gave up on fighting its effects. Before sleep overcame him, he managed to murmur for everyone, "Thank you. I'll never forget your kindness..."

* * *

It took many minutes before the silent group of men from the Shokan Division recovered from respective pangs of sympathy and guilt. Tatsumi and Watari were the first ones to leave the room - the two men heading towards the blonde scientist's laboratory. As the Gushoshin twins flew back to the library, Chief Konoe prompted Tsuzuki to follow him in his office.

Knowing that they were away from everyone's earshot, the amethyst-eyed shinigami shook his head and sighed as the two men walked through the halls. "That kid only has six days to live, and then I have to kill him. What am I supposed to do?"

Upon uttering his last word, the two men have already reached Chief Konoe's office. After locking the door for privacy, Konoe then prompted Tsuzuki to take a seat.

The elderly chief leaned on his desk and crossed his arms before him. Feeling somewhat burdened, he answered Tsuzuki's inquiry as he admitted; "I wouldn't know what to do, either. It's harder to make value judgments, especially when you've seen your retrieval face-to-face. For the many decades that I've known you, I just don't understand why you always choose to go the extra mile."

"I don't think that knowing the person, as well as his story, is a bad thing."

A bittersweet smile escaped Chief Konoe's lips as he gazed into Tsuzuki's eyes. "Compassion for others is never a bad thing. However, empathy for others is also a double-edged sword. As you just saw, that kid almost died through the cruelty of others."

Returning the gaze, the shinigami stated with quiet conviction, "I owe that kid the truth. If I'm going to take his life, he deserves to know everything from me."

"Keep your sights on that kid, Tsuzuki. We now know that Troy is connected to all the victims. At this time, we don't know what the murderer's motives are. We also have no idea on whether Troy and the murderer are connected. We must get to the bottom of this case, and our superiors don't want any more deaths."

"Yes, Boss..." replied Tsuzuki, as he was ready to close the door behind him and head towards Hisoka's room.

"By the way..."

As the shinigami turned around to face him, Chief Konoe intently said, "Tread carefully, Tsuzuki. Don't lose sight on what's important..."

* * *

Feeling much better and being mostly healed from his injuries, Troy was released the following day from EnmaCho's infirmary and was accompanied home by Tsuzuki and Hisoka.

Before Troy parted ways with Tsuzuki and Hisoka, the three became amicable acquaintances. The emerald-eyed shinigami and he discovered that they shared a passion for swords and the martial arts, and he found comfort being with the normally-laidback and amusing Tsuzuki. What he found most heartwarming was how his two new acquaintances made him feel comfortable with himself and around others – something that he only felt whenever he was around his sister, grandfather, and Aiko.

However, something else other than their demeanor made Troy feel comfortable around them. As to what that something specifically was, he could not tell...

During their time together, Tsuzuki revealed to Troy that he, Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi were working undercover to solve the series of murders plaguing Kyoto. The elder shinigami explained that they were now posing as substitute teachers and a transfer student at Saint Andrews in hopes to gather clues. He told the young man practically everything, except for the fact that they were not human and that they were sent to retrieve him five days from now.

Before dusk, the young man left home to visit his sister and grandfather's graves. After that trip, his feet led him at the marbled steps of a Catholic church – a place where he customarily visited whenever he felt lonely, confused, or happy. This day, most especially, he felt the need to share his burden and innermost with someone...

He wanted to be with someone who would not judge him – whoever or whatever he might be...

The hours had passed for him, as he quietly sat at the middle rows and had his internal discourse with God. At times, the transfixed stares were broken as his charcoal gray eyes glistened from tears. Once he felt pacified, he would close his eyes and reflect how he achieved that fleeting inner peace - making him more attuned to his inner emotions and outer surroundings.

That inner peace of his was shattered when his heightened senses picked up the faint sounds of intent footsteps, labored breathing, and probing pairs of eyes focused on him. Keeping his eyes closed and thinking that his mind was simply playing tricks with him, he tried to tune out those distractions but to no avail.

Those footsteps against the marbled floor, as well as the sound of ragged breathing, now echoed throughout the church.

Troy gingerly opened his eyes nervously looked behind him, but did not see anyone. As he felt that probing sets of eyes were still transfixed on him, the sound of labored breathing became more audible for each passing second. His charcoal gray eyes scanned the empty church while his heart raced faster, and eventually kept their gaze in front of him.

Minutes later, a hand then reached out for him from behind...

Loudly gasping, a startled Troy jumped out from the end of the pew and into the church aisle. With his eyes as wide as saucers and skin pale from fear, he shuddered as he clenched his teeth - staring back at the owner of that hand.

"Geez, Troy... I didn't expect you to be so jumpy lately..."

After letting out a heavy but very relieved sigh, he whispered with narrowed eyes, "You should know better not to scare people like that, _Aiko!_"

With a wry smile and a raised eyebrow, an amused Aiko Ikuru nonchalantly told him, "You scared yourself, so don't blame me for your overactive and warped imagination."

While chuckling out his nervousness to pacify his racing heart, he amusedly shook his head from their customary exchange of banter. "Very funny... There are just too many things in my mind, I guess..."

The two childhood friends sat together in one of the pews. Both fell quiet as their respective smiles waned – fully understanding what was on the other's mind.

After many minutes of reflective silence, Aiko ruefully stared at the huge crucifix prominently hanging above the altar. "I'm worried, and I couldn't help but think about you. After all, your birthday's just four days away from today. Aside from that, we're graduating a few days from now – with you being at the top of our class. I wish that Yuta-san and Jii-san were here to share those moments with you."

Troy became more silent and somber, as his friend confirmed what was troubling him. He could not help but look away once she mentioned graduation and birthday.

She frowned and pursed her lips, as her probing eyes kept their transfixed gaze on her friend. "I don't like that look on your face. You wouldn't want miss your own graduation, especially since Principal Yamada asked you to speak, now would you?"

He did not respond.

"If you're not going to show up for your benefit, then please do it for me. Won't you please reconsider, Troy? This is very important for me, and I don't want my best friend to miss our graduation day. It'll also be nice to see and hear you do that speech..."

"By the way, I met our new substitute teachers and classmate. They're very cool!"

Somewhat annoyed from Troy's evasiveness but resignedly relenting, she remarked, "You haven't been back in school since they joined Saint Andrews Academy. How did you meet them?"

"They helped me out yesterday."

Aiko raised an eyebrow, trying to filter her friend's response. Her dubious and confused look eventually turned into an irate one as she scolded, "When would you stand up and fight, Troy? Are you going to wait until they kill you?"

With a half-smile, he dismissively remarked, "It's not worth it."

As her voice went one pitch higher, her body tensed up, and her chocolate-brown eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'it's not worth it'? Fighting for what's right is always worth it!"

"Just as I said, Ikuru Aiko, it's not worth it. A person has to pick his or her own battles."

She looked down at her lap - her frustration driving her to tears as she let out some of her anxiety by wringing her hands. As the first teardrops fell on her hands, she murmured, "After that day in the fields, I've never seen you pick a battle. You'd fight for others, but never for yourself. When will that thick skull of yours ever comprehend how those around you care, and that we would want you alive and in one piece?"

"Probably never..." said a somber Troy while staring at the huge crucifix.

After she resignedly snorted and rolled her chocolate-brown eyes, the two were left sitting side-by-side in marked silence. Eventually, the two noticed that peculiar noise of labored breathing. That noise had been constantly present but had gone completely unnoticed to them during their discourse.

The breathing became more audible for each passing second.

Finding a semblance of courage within her, Aiko dared to ask her friend, "What was that?"

"I – I don't know..." replied Troy – his heart now racing faster than it did before Aiko arrived. He offered his hand, and motioned her to come with him.

The two left the pew, their steps quickening as the sound became more audible and frightening. Heading towards the darkest part of the church where the door was located, the shadows engulfed them. As they were about to push the heavy doors, they staggered back – realizing that someone, or something, blocked their way out.

"Good evening..." said a voice from the dark, its owner exuding such a tone ironically wrapped with such invitation, seduction, and malevolence.

The teenagers' eyes respectively went wide in fear, as they both took backward steps to avoid Kazutaka Muraki – the mysterious figure standing before them. Holding hands, the two friends blindly ran towards another doorway leading outside the church and away from Muraki.

A split second later once that the darkness engulfed them again, Troy crashed against the candle racks at the opposite end of the church – bringing Aiko with him as he was flung. Hitting her head and body hard against the wall, she lost consciousness. He, on the other hand, landed on the marbled floor and had the wind knocked out of him.

As his calculated footsteps echoed throughout the church, Muraki approached the two teens with hands smugly buried in his white trench coat pocket. His heart was tickled as he saw Troy desperately crawling on the marbled floor towards his unconscious friend. His silvery gray eye glinted as he grinned. "You must be Tsuuri Troy. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Now protectively embracing an unconscious and injured Aiko, Troy shuddered in fear as he tried to inch as far away from Muraki as possible. The young man gasped in disbelief once Muraki's face was illuminated with light coming from the racks of lit candles nearby. To him, the towering man walking towards them looked sophisticated, handsome, and charming.

However, Troy also sensed something very evil from the white trench coated figure.

The doctor sported the wry smile on his face, as well as his customarily intent tone. "I've been looking for you all this time. You've cloaked yourself very well, especially from my friend. If you want your friend unharmed, then you'll willingly come with me right now."

"Nobody's coming with you!" yelled an angry voice coming from the church balcony.

Muraki and Troy looked up and saw Tsuzuki and Hisoka. The two then spryly jumped from the balcony area and gracefully landed on the marbled floor – eliciting a puzzled look from an-already scared Troy, and a crazed satisfied grin from Muraki.

With a confident and snide chuckle, Muraki told the approaching new arrivals, "Ah, my dear friends are here! I didn't know that this boy means so much to you!"

As Hisoka ran to secure Troy and Aiko at a safer spot behind him, Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes flashed in deep-rooted anger as the air directly around him began to blow more fiercely. "Leave them alone, Muraki! Their lives are not for you to play with!"

While silver gray and blue eyes looked intently on amethyst orbs, their owner taunted, "I believe that our reunions are mostly blessed, Tsuzuki-san, considering that we first met at church in Nagasaki. Such compassionate sentimentality doesn't suit a shinigami such as you. However, I must say that your ironic hypocrisy makes you even more deliciously attractive to me..."

Taken aback for a split second, Tsuzuki reactively blushed from anger and embarrassment. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "Stop messing with me!"

Seconds later, everyone's attention focused on the loud roar that just reverberated throughout the church.

A twisted grin escaped Muraki's lips. "I haven't forgotten about what happened between us at Shion University. Don't worry, Tsuzuki-san. During one of our memorable moments together, I'll keep you up all night to share with you everything that had happened to me after that incident."

The infernal-sounding roar became louder and more frightening. With the exception of Muraki and Tsuzuki, who kept their eyes transfixed on each other, everyone else frantically scanned their surroundings.

Smelling the increasing fear permeate the air, the evil doctor intently said, "If you'd excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. I'll leave my friend behind to entertain you. Tonight, he'll disprove any superstitious notions that creatures of such nature can't step on holy ground."

As the roars became more audible, white feathers materialized from the ceiling, floated in the air, and landed on marble floor – marking Muraki's magical departure.

On the spot where the evil doctor once stood, the same demon that committed the murders appeared in his place.

"Tsuzuki – watch out!" screamed Hisoka, as he saw the demon's glowing red eyes focused on its prey and mercilessly lunged straight for his partner.

**End of Chapter Five**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

**_

* * *

_**

**_To Mischakitsune _**_- thanks, my dear, for catching the grammatical boo-boo that I didn't catch for this chapter. It's been fixed immediately after I've read your review. You're right, it didn't flow. I also like being corrected on my grammar, especially since I want to learn more as a writer. Would it tickle you if I give you a virtual Hisoka plushie, which is my humble way of saying "thank you" for keeping me up on my toes?_

**_To Ying Fa_**_ - thanks for keeping track of the story. To answer your question, the person who called out Tsuzuki's name was Tatsumi. I also love those Tsuzuki flirting - Hisoka blushing moments..._

**_To Luna-chan _**_- hope that you're liking the story. Since you and my friend Wes have been telling me a lot about Detective Conan, I'm going to find out more about the series (which involves buying the manga and net research). Ay, another addiction ;-D_

**_To ManderNaner -_**_ here's a new chapter, and the next chapter will be posted two weeks from today...so you can put away the herring lol. Let me know what you think about this chapter, too._

**_To Baka-Chibbi, Night Fox Hiten, MM2, and Sapphire Dragon _**_- hope that you like this new chapter. Let me know what you guys think ;-D_


	7. True Confessions

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Six – True Confessions**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series._

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** - the summons section - answers only to EnmaDaiOh and are the highest rankings (but the lowest paid) employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

**_Fuda _**_ is the type of magic that Tsuzuki practices. In its latent form, Fuda spells are contained within slips of paper and are activated once the conjurer draws them out and utters the incantation to release the magic. Other animes, such as X-TV, also feature this type of magic._

**_Kiseki_**_ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

**_Shikigami_**_ are mythical and spiritual deities that can be summoned by those that they have agreed to serve. Most shinigamis can only summon two or three at best. Tsuzuki can summon twelve shikigamis._

**_Suzaku_**_, better known as Red Sparrow or Phoenix, is the fiery bird of death and rebirth. Referred to as "Nee-san" by just about everyone else close to her, including Tsuzuki, her human form is that of a dark-haired woman. Nearly everyday she picks a fight with Touda, another Fire type and another of Tsuzuki's shikigamis, where she wields a huge sword. Suzaku cares deeply for Tsuzuki, even to the point where she will appear and willfully disobey his orders in order to protect him. Suzaku is the guardian beast of the south._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a reference for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

Everything happened so quickly....

Tsuzuki Asato saw the obsidian-scaled demon lunging towards him at full speed. Reaching inside his trench coat breast pocket, he instinctively pulled out Fuda paper and flung it at the demon.

Upon the mystical paper's impact, the demon's glowing red eyes flashed brighter as it roared in pain and anger. The spell flung its body against the row of pews on the right-hand side of the church.

Taking that small opening, everyone ran towards the back of the church – with Kurosaki Hisoka and Tsuuri Troy assisting an unconscious Ikuru Aiko, Tsuzuki ensuring that he fell behind to serve as cover, and everyone hoping that the demon would be out of reach.

The amethyst-eyed shinigami heard the demon rise from the wooden debris, as well as its efforts to regroup and complete its attack. He turned around, ran towards the demon, and reached once more inside his breast pocket. Producing another slip of Fuda paper, he flung the spell at the demon.

As the demon let out a pained roar that echoed throughout the church, everyone else stopped running to witness the pursuer burn. Tsuzuki, once he saw that the pursuit was over, ran as quickly as he could to join his companion.

Hisoka's expressive emerald eyes went wide as he yelled at the top of his voice, "Tsuzuki – behind you!"

The elder shinigami spun around and transfixed his gaze where the rest were focused.

Before their eyes, the ball of flame that was the demon gave out such blinding light. Eventually, the ball of flame separated into two. Once the floating flames self-extinguished, two demons took the fallen one's place – each one much bigger in frame and ferocity than their fallen demonic peer did.

The two demonic replacements let out a mighty roar – prompting their prey to take hurried backward steps as their eyes went wider from fright.

Without removing his gaze at the demons and wanting to save the church building from imminent damage, Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed as he yelled at his companions behind him, "We can't do much in here! Run outside!"

Everyone ran without looking behind them, but each heart pounded more fiercely as the demonic roars became closer and louder. Hisoka and Troy ran as fast as their legs could take them outside the church while assisting an unconscious Aiko. Tsuzuki, on the other hand, sprinted quickly but ensured that he stayed behind to protect the others.

The blood-red full moon greeted them outside as it gave the darkness and the starless sky an eerie crimson hue.

Gauging that it was now safe to take the offensive, Tsuzuki spun his heels and turned around to face their pursuers.

As they saw one of their preys become an easy target, the two towering demons' eyes malevolently glinted. They furiously picked up their pursuit – preparing to do a split-second lunge against the amethyst-eyed shinigami.

Focusing all his spiritual energies from within, Tsuzuki closed his eyes and placed his hands together before him. While his fingers nimbly formed symbols, gusts of wind and fire clashed and made his black trench coat billow around him. His tousled dark brown hair furiously blew against the elements as he chanted....

_I bow to thee and beseech you,_

_The Twelve Gods that protect me,_

_Appear before me!_

_Come out! Suzaku!_

The maelstrom of flame and wind blew around the shinigami until Suzaku – the fiery phoenix and goddess of the South – appeared and hovered above her master. The wild gusts of wind and flame lit up the demons and blew them a few feet away from Tsuzuki.

The maelstrom of flame and wind blew around the shinigami until Suzaku – the fiery phoenix and goddess of the South – appeared and hovered above her master. The wild gusts of wind and flame lit up the demons and blew them a few feet away from Tsuzuki.

The two demons let out pained and blood-curdling roars – making Hisoka and Troy shut their eyes as they shudder and hope for an end to this ordeal.

Suzaku screeched and flapped her wings of crimson, yellow, and orange. Her piercing gaze, as well as her master's, witnessed as the two balls of flame disintegrate and transform into four demons.

Each of the four demons was now at least two feet taller than Tsuzuki, and had a pair of crimson eyes glinting in fury.

Unfazed, Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed even further as he placed his hands together and bellowed, "Explode!"

The shikigami quickly carried out Tsuzuki's command. She flapped her mighty wings and blew her fiery breath on the four demons – turning the field between her master and the church steps into an ocean of flame. Although the demons let out another series of spine-chilling roars that shattered the silence, she did not stop her attack until all of her master's pursuers turned into dust. Once she was ensured that the threat was eliminated, she hovered before her master and waited.

Gratefully staring and warmly smiling at the shikigami hovering over him, Tsuzuki muttered, "Thank you, Nee-san.... You may return...."

After letting out another screech, the fiery phoenix beat its wings one more time before she folded them before her. Another gust of wind and flame blew around her master before she disappeared – leaving Tsuzuki and his other three companions relieved and thankful.

The eerie crimson veil covering the moon minutes ago disappeared once the demons were vanquished.

The amethyst-eyed shinigami ran towards Hisoka and his charge as he asked, "Is everyone all right?"

Still wide-eyed and rattled, Hisoka responded as he glanced at Aiko, "Troy and I are okay, but she's still out. Would you check her head and see where the blood's coming from?"

A tightlipped Tsuzuki felt her pulse, checked for injuries, and touched her clammy skin. "It's a nasty blow to the head. She doesn't need stitches, but we need to take care of it right away."

"My house isn't far away from here," said a worried and disconcerted Troy while looking at his unconscious friend. Knowing exactly what was on his mind, the two shinigamis accompanied him as he carried her on his back.

Halfway towards their destination, Tsuzuki took charge in carrying the injured as he noticed Troy's exhaustion reflected more prominently on his face as time went on. Once they finally reached the house and tended Aiko's wounds, the three stepped out of the room to let her rest.

Minutes after leaving the two shinigami in his living room, Troy emerged from the kitchen with tea and pastries. Once seated opposite his two guests, he said while pouring tea for everyone, "She can't go home until she awakens."

Hisoka's eyebrow rose as he asked, "Why?"

Heavily sighing, Troy responded while putting some honey in his tea, "If she's out this late at night, it means that she snuck out from her bedroom window." Sensing that his two guests respectively gave him puzzled looks, he glanced at them with a gentle smile. "She sneaks out at night once in a while, but she's not that type of girl.... She likes hanging out with me, and likewise...."

"Are you and she –?"

"Oh no, Tsuzuki-san," interjected Troy as his charcoal gray eyes met amethyst orbs and his cheeks blushed. "She and I are just very good friends – nothing more…. Her parents don't like the idea of us being friends, or even hanging out together."

Hisoka kept his silence as he helped himself to another cup of tea. The emerald-eyed empath confirmed that Troy did harbor some feelings over and above friendship for his friend. However, he could sense but not fathom another wave of emotions within Troy - the very reason why he overloaded in the fields....

....Those emotions were murky, suffocating, volatile, dangerous, and unknown even to Troy himself.

Trying to pull more clarity from his empathic read of Troy's emotions, Hisoka asked him, "Muraki's after you, and he's not a person that you should easily dismiss. He's also behind all those recent murders, including your sister's death. What do you know about him? Why do you think that he's after you?"

After taking a sip from his cup, Troy responded with furrowed brows and a crinkled forehead, "Before tonight, I've never met him. However, I've felt his presence before. He said that he had been looking for me. After Tatsumi-san showed me those pictures, I can't help but think that I know all those murdered people and that my sister was one of them...."

Silence filled the room for many minutes, until Tsuzuki broke the ice and inquired, "Are you going to be okay?"

As Troy looked into amethyst eyes, his charcoal gray orbs misted. "I don't know.... My sister was much too young to die. Jii-chan's weak heart gave in and he died when he found out that my sister was murdered. Aiko, my long-time and only friend, is injured. I'm slowly losing everyone who I care for, and still I didn't do anything to save or protect them."

Tsuzuki rose from his seat and sat beside Troy. Placing a consoling hand on the young man's back, the shinigami said, "Those murders, and tonight, are not your fault." When he placed his hand over Troy's right arm, the latter winced – causing the shinigami to withdraw his hand, and his young partner to bolt out of his seat.

"That demon gave you a nasty graze..." said Hisoka, as he parted the shredded right arm of Troy's shirt and examined the wound underneath the clothing. He then went to the kitchen.

Once the emerald-eyed young man returned carrying a small basin with a face towel dipped in hot water, Tsuzuki motioned Troy to take off his shirt – the latter revealing a well-toned upper body, smooth chest, and creamy white skin that contrasted his dark hair and charcoal gray eyes.

After gently patting the face towel over the wound and washing off all the caked blood, Tsuzuki marched to the kitchen to discard the crimson water and rinse the towel they just used. Once that chore was done, he then walked into the bedroom and pulled out a pair of pajamas from the clothes drawer – being careful not to disturb Aiko.

This time, Hisoka took over in tending Troy's wounds. His elder partner just returned to the living room, with pajamas in hand, when he heard their patient say....

"Aiko's right. I could fight back, but chose not to do so...."

After pausing for many minutes, Troy continued in between grimaces of pain from Hisoka disinfecting his wound with cotton balls drenched in alcohol, "People gossiped about me since no one knew my father's identity. When Aiko and I were nine, some of the local bullies ganged up and hurt her in the fields. They were the same ones who made my life miserable as long as I could remember. When she fell unconscious and I jumped in to defend her, all hell broke loose."

Tsuzuki and Hisoka fell silent.

"Everything happened so quickly. Minutes later, I woke up in the middle of a barren and scorched field. The bullies were gone, Aiko was still unconscious, and I was so afraid of what happened. I told Jii-chan and my sister about the incident. Days later, rumors spread that I was a demon-spawn. Ever since then, the teasing increased and people openly treated me as if I was this freak. Jii-chan, my sister, and Aiko were the only ones who treated me as if that day never happened. The three of them stood by me...."

"Being gifted doesn't mean that one is a freak. Some people choose to remain ignorant when someone's different than they are," Watari interjected as he stood by the doorway.

Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Troy glanced to their left and saw the blonde scientist along with Tatsumi. The two new arrivals then on the opposite sofa facing them – looking composed on the outside, but feeling uncomfortable inside since Troy did not act the least startled from their sudden arrival.

Seeing that Hisoka was done dressing Troy's wound, Tsuzuki handed the young man the pajamas that he pulled out from the closet.

After giving Tsuzuki a slight bow of gratitude, Troy then gave the blonde scientist a rueful smile as he carefully wore the pajama top with Hisoka's help. "I wish that people saw things your way, Watari-san. Jii-chan understood who – or what – I really was. Although he told me about how I can tap into my powers, he never told me as to where I came from, who my father was, and what I really am. I asked him to bind my powers, even though he advised me not to do so. He cast a binding spell, which was in force until his death."

"Now that he's dead, his binding spell is removed..." said a tightlipped Tatsumi as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs.

Troy nodded, and then asked, "Has the Shokan Division's been watching me for a while?"

The three shinigamis and the Secretary from EnmaCho were stunned.

Shifting his gaze from Tsuzuki to Tatsumi, Troy explained, "I've felt your presence since my grandfather and sister died. You've been watching over me all this time...."

Amethyst eyes looked deeply into charcoal gray eyes as their owner regretfully smiled, "Troy, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to deceive you, or invade your privacy...."

Troy let out a soft sigh and then replied, "Please don't be sorry, Tsuzuki-san. The four of you saved me from the fields. Tonight, you and Hisoka protected Aiko and me from that man and the demon. Although I'm grateful for being saved, part of me wishes that you've just left me to die...."

**End of Chapter Six**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness), its characters, and the spells that Tsuzuki makes are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	8. The Unmasking

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Seven - The Unmasking**

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**To the Reader**

For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated.

Another matter to square away is terminology used within the series.

**_EnmaCho_**_ is one of the ten government bureaus that form JuOhCho. This bureau's **Shokan Division** - the summons section - answers only to EnmaDaiOh and are the highest rankings (but the lowest paid) employees in Meifu. EnmaCho is also unique in that it exists within another Cho (one of the court districts) and it handles all of the cases in Tokyo in addition to the special cases of other Chos._

_**Fuda ** is the type of magic that Tsuzuki practices. In its latent form, Fuda spells are contained within slips of paper and are activated once the conjurer draws them out and utters the incantation to release the magic. Other animes, such as X-TV, also feature this type of magic._

_**Kiseki**__ is a list of the people who are supposed to die. The shinigami retrieve people who are on the list but have not died yet._

_**Shikigami** are mythical and spiritual deities that can be summoned by those that they have agreed to serve. Most shinigamis can only summon two or three at best. Tsuzuki can summon twelve shikigamis._

**_Shinigami_**_ roughly translates as God of Death. In the anime series, the English dubbers (who I think did a good job in translation) translate shinigami as Guardian of Death. Because those who work in the EnmaCho's Shokan Division are often called upon to kill people, both living and dead people call them shinigami. All shinigamis learn some sort of magic, usually Fuda, and most seem to have some other supernatural powers as well. All of them have the ability to fly (usually), dematerialize, and regenerate._

**_Shokan_**_ means summons or subpoena. The main characters work in the Shokan Division. Chief Konoe is the boss of that division. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who now serves as EnMaCho's Secretary and budgetary advisor, is rumored to be the real head of the division but is formally Chief Konoe's right-hand man. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Watari work as shinigamis._

_**Touda** is another Fire type and another of Tsuzuki's shikigamis. He appears as a black snake-like creature with the black fires of hell that can even kill a shinigami. As he says himself, he is a "bad" Fire type, referring to his personality and general attitude toward his master. However, because Tsuzuki gave him peace (something to do with coaxing Touda out of his prison in Tenkuu for some crime), Touda is willing to do whatever Tsuzuki says. Of course, he'll only do what Tsuzuki says and practically never acts on his own._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's website. Her site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. I give her credit and acknowledgement since her site served as a reference for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

Troy invited the four men from the Shokan Division to stay at his house as long as they wanted to – an offer that Tatsumi immediately agreed upon, and the three shinigami accepted when they determined that their young host would not take "no" for an answer. Aside from a place to sleep, he also offered them to use any comfortable clothing for tonight.

After figuring out that Aiko would now be okay, Tatsumi and Watari took the unconscious teenager back to her own bed at home. Tatsumi's shadow magic enabled them to accomplish this mission without her parents' knowledge. Once they were done with their task, they returned to the house and slept in the assigned bedroom that they shared.

Since Tsuzuki had trouble sleeping and keeping his mind at peace, he rose from the cot situated between Hisoka's and Troy's cots. He sat up on the left-hand side of his cot and looked at a peacefully sleeping Troy. Noticing that Troy's skin was flushed and clammy, the shinigami felt the young man's forehead and surmised that the fever was due to the wound and prior injuries.

He stood up, tiptoed towards Hisoka's side of the bed, knelt by the bedside, and then stared at his partner for many minutes. His amethyst eyes glimmered and his heart was comforted upon seeing his young partner's handsome and angelic face. After endearingly sweeping some of the hair from Hisoka's face, he saw the young man stir and assume a more comfortable position to continue his sleep. He let out a quiet and contented sigh as he saw a pacified smile escape his sleeping partner's lips.

Rising from where he knelt, the elder shinigami passed the other room to check on Tatsumi and Watari. Once he saw that his two friends were sound asleep, he then walked outside the house.

Thirty minutes later, Tsuzuki's feet led him to the same bridge that he and Tatsumi used to take their casual strolls when they were still partners and lovers. Taking deep breaths, closing his eyes, and thinking about happier times, he began to achieve the temporary peace of mind he sought....

Until he remembered another ironic detail.... Troy's sister, Yuta, was brutally murdered nearby the bridge where he now stood.

His eyes shut tighter, his fists clenched, and his body shuddered. Seconds later, the dark cloud of despair that he wished to escape from and drove him to take this moonlit walk settled upon him. Minutes after opening his eyes once more, the shinigami bit his lips and his amethyst eyes misted while looking at the waxy moon and the starless sky.

He did not wish to create and associate more sad memories in Kyoto, but how could he avoid doing so?

Since he worked for the Shokan Division, too many people mysteriously and brutally died in the beautiful city. Some of his most memorable – and most painful – retrievals were also done here. He also could not forget how he recently had a lapse of despair and insanity – causing him to wish for death, and almost taking Hisoka with him.

Now, Tsuzuki was forced to relive his past through Troy. How he wished that he could provide a safer and happier environment for the kindhearted young man, so that he could justify his actions if he came before the Earl and asked him to prolong his retrieval's life. With all that he had seen for the past three days, he knew that his good intentions ironically bore cruelty. He saw that suffocating hopelessness and despair reflected in Troy's eyes. If Tsuzuki wished to end such a painful and tiring existence through death, why should he deny the young man's wish?

_"Part of me wishes that you've just left me to die...."_

As Troy's words echoed once more in his mind, he knew that his retrieval must die four days from now – either by his hand, by someone else's cruelty, or suicide.

As he leaned on the bridge's railing and let out a burdened sigh, he thought about the time when Hisoka, Tatsumi, and Watari saved him from Touda's flames. Even though he thanked them for saving him, a shroud of sadness wrapped his heart and soul ever since that incident.

Ever since then, that part of him wished that his friends had left him alone to die. That part of him also gave more guilt in his heart, making him feel as if he was betraying Hisoka everyday by wishing to end his pain. How could he wish for such a morbid fate, especially when his partner – after years of emotional isolation – opened up his heart and made a place for him?

"Romantic evenings such as these are so rare," said a voice from the shadows.

Tsuzuki's tears retracted, as anger welled up in him. His fists clenched and his amethyst eyes narrowed. "What do you want with Troy? If you want to use him in one of your sick genetic experiments, use me instead."

With hands hidden in his white trench coat pockets, Muraki approached the shinigami – his footsteps echoing as they hit the concrete. "Since you're a man who appreciates fine sweets, you'd understand if I prefer to have my cake and eat it, too." Once he stood a few feet from the shinigami, he then told the other, "We were always so close, and yet so far in having one of those passionate trysts."

Tsuzuki's face flushed, as his narrowed eyes tried to hide how startled and embarrassed he was from what he just heard.

The handsome and evil doctor smirked as his right blue eye glinted. "Ah, my beautiful love.... Your heart bleeds for those who suffer, and I relish seeing you anguish while I get what I want."

"Is power the very thing that you want?" asked the amethyst-eyed shinigami with gritted teeth.

As his smirk became more generous and sarcastic, his voice dipped into a more seductive tone and his eyes were focused on his psychological prey. "Those beautiful purple eyes and that righteous anger of yours grace and haunt my dreams at the same time. That disgusting compassionate heart of yours intrigues and sickens me. Everything about you makes me love you so much more that I want to destroy and corrupt you – slowly but surely – until there's nothing left."

Tension further filled the air around them.

"As to that young partner of yours, he'll always be my beautiful entranced doll as long as I exist. Tsuuri Troy, on the other hand, is a present waiting to be opened. Since they're so close to your heart, anything that I inflict on them will bounce back to you. I love to see you writhe in pain, and it serves as an intoxicating aphrodisiac for me."

Tsuzuki spat, "You're sick!"

"I don't blame your affinity for demon spawns, especially since you're the same thing. Just as my grandfather had incriminating data about you, I have evidence proving that the boy isn't human."

The shinigami glared at his enemy, as his anger festered and suffocated him.

Removing his hands from his pocket, Muraki leaned against the bridge's railing and crossed his arms over his chest. While his eyes were closed, he had a wry grin on his face as he said, "That boy's a present meant for me to open. There's an old saying that a snake, no matter how merciful and caring its master may be, will eventually bite the hand that feeds it. Once that boy shows his true colors, you'd regret the day you've met and helped him. The very thing that you sought to protect will destroy you – piece by piece."

With his teeth almost grinding against each other from controlled fury, Tsuzuki's eyes threw dagger stares as he looked into the doctor's eyes. "Cut the crap, Muraki! Why are you so fixated in getting Troy?"

As he pursed his lips, Muraki nonchalantly replied, "I'm not obligated to answer that question...."

Tsuzuki lunged at the doctor, but ended up in an arm lock – with Muraki pushing him further from behind against one of the bridge's concrete posts and making their bodies dangerously close to each other. The shinigami's heart pounded louder and his eyes widened as he was placed in such a powerless position.

Standing from behind and whispering into the shinigami's ear, Muraki's warm smile seductively and intently oozed in his voice. "Those beautiful amethyst eyes of yours betray you. Your eyes give away how our encounters brought fear and excitement within you. They show how you quiver inside in fear and anticipation every time that my fingertips or lips ghost over your soft skin. Eventually, that body of yours will betray you as well...."

Tsuzuki blushed profusely.

As the amethyst-eyed man struggled to break free, the doctor pushed him further against the concrete post as he asked the other, "Are you teetering once more towards insanity, Tsuzuki-san?"

The shinigami's body froze and his eyes widened further.

A satisfied smirk escaped Muraki's lips. "That boy brings back painful memories for you, doesn't he? If my calculations serve me correctly, you lost your sanity when you were about his age. You were also around that age when you became a patient under my grandfather's care seventy-three years ago."

Tsuzuki fell silent from shock, while his captor and intimidator relished having the upper hand.

After many minutes of silence, Muraki once again whispered in his prey's ear, "What would you say if I do this for you, Tsuzuki-san? Since I love you so much, I'll give you your most earnest wish. You'll see with your own two eyes as to how you once were many decades ago. Through that boy, you'll lose your mind again. You'll perpetually fall into that dark pit of despair, constantly wish for things that can never be changed, and ultimately give up hope. I, on the other hand, will sit back and enjoy the performance."

Tsuzuki's teeth gritted further, as he tried to break free once more. "I'm telling you to leave Troy, and especially Hisoka, alone!"

Muraki slammed the shinigami against the concrete post. As the grazes on Tsuzuki's face began to bleed, the amused doctor snickered. "My, my...and I thought that I was the rough one.... We're getting so testy tonight, aren't we? That boy has a promising future under my care. Since you and he are not human, his insanity will drive him to end his pathetic existence repeatedly. Who knows? Maybe he'll beat your record by living more than eight years without food, water, or sleep."

Pressing his full weight harder against Tsuzuki and feeling the contours of the other's well-toned body, Muraki's warm breath gently blew against the nape of Tsuzuki's neck as he whispered, "As with me, I'll keep the boy educated and entertained. I'll let him play with my sharp toys, just to see how resilient his body is after he repeatedly slits his wrists and throat. Who knows? I might end up ravishing him and adding him to my collection, just as I did with that beautiful boy you now call your partner...."

"I'm warning you, Muraki – stop involving innocent people in your sick game!"

Muraki's blue-and-silver gray eyes glinted as he licked his lips. "Who told you that he'll still be innocent after I'm done with him?"

Once the shinigami garnered an ounce of extra strength to break free, Muraki pushed him hard against the post once more. With such an evil smirk escaping his lips knowing that he was effectively pushing Tsuzuki's buttons, he sarcastically asked, "Tell me, Tsuzuki-san.... What will you do to me if I don't follow your wishes?"

Through gritted teeth, Tsuzuki spat, "What I just told you isn't a wish. You wouldn't want to know what I'd do to you if you dare lay a finger on either one of them...."

Muraki smirked as the adrenaline and lust within his body continued to grow. "Are you trying to scare me while you're in such a compromising position? Don't you know that you're just stirring my blood to want you even more?" He then pushed Tsuzuki away from him.

Once the shinigami was free and now stood a few feet before him, the evil doctor's blue and silvery gray eyes malevolently glinted. "Should I start believing that a walking contradiction such as you would do the unthinkable? No matter what you do, or tell me, I'll never give that boy or your precious partner a moment's peace...."

Seething from the fury and intimidation, Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes narrowed as they gave his opponent a cold stare. "Since you're so fixated about my past, you also know that I easily fall into that pit you keep on romanticizing. Once I return to that pit, there's no such thing as the unthinkable. I'll make sure that I finish the job for good, even if it means taking me down with you...."

Many more minutes of silence passed as the two stood before each other exchanging transfixed and meaningful gazes.

With silent disgust, Tsuzuki buried his hands deep within his black trench coat pockets and then turned his back from his enemy.

As the shinigami walked away from their meeting, a wry smile escaped Muraki's lips as he intently mused, "You'll fall right into my hands once that boy shows his true colors, Tsuzuki-san. Just wait and see...."

* * *

It was almost three in the morning when an absentminded and heavy-hearted Tsuzuki was finally nearby Troy's home.

Once his gaze fell on the house, his amethyst eyes went wide and his heart pounded. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. Dread invaded his being when he saw that most of the lights were on, and heard screams coming from the house. Sprinting towards the bedroom they were staying in – the same place where most of the noises were coming from - the shinigami froze upon seeing the sight before him....

The room was in total disarray as the cots, lamps, and most of the furniture was broken. His three companions from the Shokan Division were standing nervously in different corners of the room. A profusely sweating and pale Troy cowered at the farthest corner of the room with a knife in his hand – having such unbridled madness mirrored in his eyes, and preparing to kill himself or anyone who would dare come close to him. He also saw the deep gash on Hisoka's face, as well as his young partner's bloodied pajamas.

Once he saw the powerful shinigami, Troy's eyes burned with such malevolence. His innocent-looking face now marred with such a twisted smirk, he lunged at Tsuzuki.

Without any more forethought, Tsuzuki pulled out Fuda paper from his breast pocket, flung it with all his might towards the young man, and chanted....

_And so may it be, _

_By virtue of Hades,_

_This summons shall break the evil spell placed upon thee,_

_And shall banish the omen!_

Before an enraged Troy could finish his attack against Tsuzuki, he screamed at the top of his lungs as the paper suspended and contained him in mystical blue flames for many minutes. The sight and the sound as the spell took effect froze everyone's blood. The spell, even though its potency took the form of fire, was only meant to expunge evil invading a person's body. Once the last flame died, signaling the end of the spell, the unconscious young man's body dropped on the floor.

As Watari ran and checked Troy's vitals, Hisoka told his partner without removing his gaze from Watari's patient, "Troy suddenly snapped! All of a sudden, he attacked me and ransacked the room! If Tatsumi-san and Watari-san didn't protect me, he could've done much worse...."

"This isn't like him. He wouldn't attack you, or anyone.... Something's wrong..." said a still-stunned and guilt-ridden Tsuzuki as his beleaguered stare remained transfixed on Watari.

"I know what you mean.... I felt him…. It seemed as if he were a different person…" ruefully remarked the emerald-eyed shinigami, as the last phase of his healing was complete.

Once Watari felt something unusual on Troy's body, he unbuttoned the young man's pajama top and exposed as much skin as possible for examination. Over and above his worry that the young man's fever was burning far worse than before and was unexplainably crazed, the blonde scientist's honey-colored eyes went wide as he held his breath. "You have to see this...."

Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Tatsumi cautiously huddled around Troy and Watari – each one shocked over what they just saw....

A hexagram – the same one that the demon carved on its victims' chests – was now prominently seared on Troy's bare and smooth chest. The deep gash that the demon inflicted on the young man's upper arm transformed into shiny obsidian scales, and were now spreading on his right shoulder.

Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes went wide and his blood froze, as a sickened and frightened feeling settled in his stomach. "Those scales on his body.... The demon we faced tonight had the same scales...."

**End of Chapter Seven**

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__

Normal Disclaimer

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness), its characters, and the spells that Tsuzuki makes are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

* * *

**_Review Responses_**

_**To Roanna Luna / Luna-chan** - Hi, Luna-chan ;-D Long time, no speak! I was so excited to hear/read that you're back from your trip and computer accessibility. I still owe you an email response, since my computer and Yahoo! are not being so cooperative of late..._

_Troy Tsuuri and Alexandra Emrys (the original character featured in my Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics / Lost Soul series) do have similarities and differences. These similarities and differences have something to do with the themes running in the original fic project that I told you about via email. I'm doing my best to develop Troy's character, and making him as relatable to others as possible. At this time, Troy is weaker than Emrys but his growth will come as time progresses ;-D_

_I'm not so sure as to how surprised you'll be once this fic ends, but there are lots of twists in store for the characters..._

_**To Ying-Fa:** Hi, my dear ;-D _

_Yeah, Muraki is so evil.... You probably want to beat him up after this chapter, huh? lol Anyway, I'm glad that you're enjoying this story especially since I'm having fun writing it. The plot will go deeper, and everyone will have to face their own demons in the next chapters. After all, there's still a mystery to solve...._


	9. Passages from the Past

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Eight - Passages from the Past**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_For more information about the series, I refer you to Theria's website and SakuraCrisis' scanlations. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. SakuraCrisis' scanlations are the best ones out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as references for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

An hour before Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi parted ways from an emergency investigation meeting, Chief Konoe and the Gushoshin Twins established that Kota Senji's name was now listed in the kiseki. However, the recently murdered teenager's soul had not returned to Meifu. With this latest fact, Senji became the sixteenth soul that the Shokan Division must now recover to set matters right. 

Then there was the matter regarding Troy, which was not as minor as it would have been for Tsuzuki....

A couple of hours before dawn, Tsuzuki and Hisoka returned to Troy's home in search for anything that could help them with the case or the young man's sudden illness. Watari and Tatsumi, equally stumped with the latest turn of events, took Troy to EnmaCho's infirmary with the scientist taking lead in discovering a temporary or permanent cure from the young man's blood.

As Tsuzuki looked through items inside the closets of Troy's deceased grandfather's room for clues, he expressed his thoughts aloud as he remarked, "Sixteen murders done by the same demon and sixteen souls are now missing. A hexagram was carved on each victim's chest. A definite link exists between Troy and the victims, since he's related to each one. Troy's now lying in the infirmary bearing the same hexagram and growing scales similar to the demon. All these pieces just don't make sense."

Still not feeling well but keeping silent about his condition, Hisoka responded as he searched through the study table's drawers, "Don't forget that Muraki's after him, and that he's somehow connected to that demon we've encountered last night.... "

Through gritted teeth and a strained voice, Tsuzuki spat as he stopped his search and leaned against the closet door, "Damn it! We haven't even scratched the surface to this mystery! I want to solve this case while Troy's alive, and we can't have another person die...."

"We have to bring him to Meifu four days from now, Tsuzuki...."

Feeling tired, the tightlipped elder shinigami resignedly slid his body down the closet door until he dropped himself on the hardwood floor. Now sitting on the floor and drawing his knees up, he massaged the nape of his neck with his wrist-watched right hand as he murmured, "If worse comes to worst, I'll ask the Earl to give Troy a reprieve." He stood up and walked towards one of the mahogany dressers.

Stunned by what he just heard, the annoyed emerald-eyed young man turned around to face his partner and brushed away some the blonde locks away from his face. Empathic powers or not, he confirmed his partner's thoughts as he echoed back, "You're going to ask to prolong someone's life again, aren't you?"

"I have no choice, Hisoka...."

The younger man stopped his task and crossed his arms over his chest while leaning on the desk. "Every time you leave the Castle of Candles, you have this funny look on your face. The Earl also keeps mentioning about this mountain of debts that you need to repay him. You already owe EnmaCho for the next six months since you've decimated buildings in our previous assignments. Why don't you settle your debts with him first before you go out asking for favors? If I were the Earl, I would demand full payment before you even talk to me."

Tsuzuki dreamily blinked his eyes and contentedly sighed. As he turned around and looked inside the dresser drawers for any clues, he said, "I wouldn't mind paying you in full if _you_ were the Earl. In fact, you don't even have to tell me twice to pay up my debt...."

The younger shinigami, as he conducted a search under the mattress, curtly told his partner, "You owe the man, so you should pay him back."

Remembering the major difference between the Earl and Hisoka, as well as the reality that he would be paying his debt to the lecherous master of the Castle rather than his partner, Tsuzuki stopped and his eyes went wide in disbelief. As he profusely blushed, he looked behind him once more and asked with a cringe, "Do you even know what you're saying right now?"

Hisoka knew that an embarrassed Tsuzuki was staring at him, but he did not stop to meet that gaze. "I wasn't born yesterday. You should just give the man what he wants and get it over with...."

"You're so mean," mumbled Tsuzuki with a sad child-like pout, as his young partner dismissively shook his head.

Shortly thereafter, the two were silent as they continued their investigation. Tsuzuki took the time to examine inside each drawer, as well as its contents. Hisoka, ignoring his headache and nausea, spent another fifteen minutes kneeling on the hardwood floor and scanning for anything unusual.

"Wait a minute...I found something," Tsuzuki told Hisoka once he felt a hard rectangular object sandwiched among the neatly folded clothing inside one of the drawers.

Standing up and staring at his elder partner who began to pore through a journal from the drawer, Hisoka said, "Help me with this bed first, will you? I don't want to scratch the floor."

With his mind preoccupied between the contents of the journal and more intimate matters, the amethyst-eyed man stopped his task, gazed into Hisoka's eyes, and then looked outside the window. With a raised eyebrow and hands over his hips, he remarked without forethought, "The view from where the bed is now is perfectly fine. However, moving the bed nearby the window might provide a more romantic ambience for us...."

As his brows furrowed and his frown deepened, Hisoka had to shake his head numerous times from confusion. Finally finding the right words to say, he then spat with one raised eyebrow, "What are you talking about? Would you stop mumbling and help me with this bed!"

Tsuzuki stared at him for a minute, and then asked, "Why are you asking me to move the bed, if you're not worried about the view?"

An already-impatient and puzzled Hisoka shook his head once more. As his eyes further narrowed in scrutiny, he noticed his partner's slightly blushed cheeks and teasingly lit eyes. Even though amethyst met emerald eyes for many minutes, it took a while before the message was finally understood.

The younger shinigami's emerald eyes went wide and his face heated up from embarrassment. With an exasperated voice that made him blush more profusely, he blurted out, "I don't give a damn about the view, you idiot! I found something underneath this bed!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tsuzuki sheepishly stammered while placing the journal on the bed. The pinkish blush on his cheeks did not disappear as he helped an equally embarrassed Hisoka move the bed.

When the two partners moved the furniture and removed the loose wooden slat, they found a mason jar filled with assorted herbs, a larger jar containing an unidentified concoction, and another journal. While Tsuzuki examined the large bottle of herbs and weird concoction, Hisoka sat on the bed and went through the pages of the second journal that they found.

"Why don't we return to the infirmary and give these jars to Watari? These might help Troy," proposed the elder partner as he sat beside his younger counterpart on the bed.

"I don't know what's in that diary that you found inside the drawer, but this one along with the jars we've found belongs to Troy's mother."

"What does it say?"

Hisoka skimmed through the next few pages. As his eyes went wide while reviewing a handwritten passage, his scrutiny redirected to the top of the left-hand side of the journal. He read this diary entry to his partner....

_I stared into his eyes long and hard tonight, since I did not believe a single word that he said. I have known him for three years now, and he has always been honest with me. Deep down, I know that he is not lying...._

_For the first time in years, I wish that what I heard from him tonight were a lie. How can he, someone with a face of an angel and a kind heart, be not human? If he said that he was an angel, I would have believed him more. However, he proposed to me and told me tonight that he was a demon._

_When I did not believe his words, he revealed his true self before me. In his true form, he was a towering figure with shiny black scales and glowing red eyes._

_At first, I backed away in fright. However, I saw the sadness in those red eyes as he stayed in the very spot where he stood. I saw his soul and his true self with those eyes. It broke my heart to see him sad, but the glint in his eye showed freedom now that I know everything about him._

_How can someone so frightening be so tender and loving? Is being human more than just physiology?_

_I wonder...._

Tsuzuki blinked a couple of times in stunned silence, until a small card dropped from the journal that was read to him. Being snapped out of his trance, he picked up the yellowed parchment and skimmed through the written message. A chill traveled down his spine, rendering him speechless.

The younger shinigami placed his index finger in between the pages of the diary, as another wave of emotions coming from his partner slapped him so hard that he began to swoon. Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths to regain control, he felt melancholy and sympathy coming from the enigmatic elder man. As he looked into his partner's eyes, Hisoka asked the other, "Tsuzuki...what's wrong?"

As his response, Tsuzuki held the card with two mildly quivering hands.... In a voice that reflected his emotions, as well as the author of the note, he read to Hisoka....

_I love you, and my happiness lies with you._

_If you marry me, I will be the happiest and saddest that I have ever been. I will be happy since you, the love of my life, will become my spouse. However, I will also be sad since marrying me and giving birth to our child will seal your doom._

_The path where my life leads is paved with suffering. I have chosen my path, and my child is destined to do the same when the time comes. There are those who still seek to destroy me, and they will do the same to my loved ones._

_Now that you know the entire truth about me, I will understand and respect your decision should you choose for us to part ways. If you say "yes" to my marriage proposal, I promise to love, honor, and protect you and our child until my last breath._

_Should you choose to leave me for a life of happiness and normalcy, my love for you will remain as long as I exist._

_Please think about what I just revealed to you. I hope that you could see past my grotesque appearance and know that I have always been the man who loved and cherished you all these years._

Silence filled the room for a long time, until Tsuzuki muttered, "This confirms that Troy's not fully human.... He's slowly turning into what he really is...."

Now feeling more nauseous and dizzy from his partner's emotions as well as the spiritual trace residues from the items they found, Hisoka's breathing became more labored. He closed his eyes, as his head, ears, and the back of his eyes throbbed from pressure.

Concern flooded through Tsuzuki's being, which automatically registered with the almost-overloading empath. He saw that his partner became paler and began to sweat the very second that worry troubled him. Doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but knowing that he was failing miserably, Tsuzuki suggested with a soothing voice, "Hisoka, why don't we take a short break?"

"W - We don't have time..." protested the younger partner in between heaving breaths.

"Shhh.... Just take it easy for a minute," said Tsuzuki, as he gently swept away the blonde locks away from Hisoka's face.

Although doing so hurt him more, Hisoka's eyes glared at his partner. "Just stop fussing around about me! I'm not a kid anymore!"

Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed, as he looked sideways.. Barely keeping his slowly flaring temper in check, he intently told Hisoka, "Looking out for you doesn't mean that I look at you as a kid, or helpless for that matter.. When will you get it in your head that you're my partner, and that we should be watching out for each other no matter what happens?"

The latest wave of emotion from Tsuzuki hit Hisoka hard. His chest constricted, his vision spun, and it became more difficult for him to breathe.

A half-smile escaped Tsuzuki's lips, as he tried to touch Hisoka. Although Tsuzuki knew that the young man would probably slap his hand away again, which his partner had been doing more often, Tsuzuki already prepared his emotions. He reached out and placed his hand on Hisoka's back.

At first, Hisoka winced away...only for Tsuzuki to try again with more gentleness. Hisoka's resolved gradually weakened for each of Tsuzuki's failed attempts.

Tsuzuki still tried to reach out to his partner, not giving up until he succeeded. This time, the elder shinigami's heart warmed up when his hand finally made contact without being slapped away. Once he knew that his gesture was now welcome, Tsuzuki gently rubbed Hisoka's back to give him comfort.

Eventually, Hisoka kept his eyes closed and tried to stifle a slightly relieved sigh. The softness and warmth of Tsuzuki's hand eased some of his misery. As hard as Hisoka tried to hide and fight his emotions, his delicate face reflected the relief that a caring touch could bring.

A feeling of calm coursed through Tsuzuki's being, as he saw that his emotionally evasive partner finally allowed him to help...especially since such occasions were rare. With his gaze transfixed on the ailing young man, his smile of empathy and care became more generous. Tsuzuki knew that his happiness from being able to show his love for Hisoka was pacifying him and easing his pain.

"Tsuzuki...."

"Why don't you lie down and close your eyes for a minute?" proposed the amethyst-eyed shinigami with the most comforting voice that he could muster.

After a couple of failed protests, Hisoka relented and lay in bed while Tsuzuki assisted him. As his elder partner stroked his hair while sitting beside him, Hisoka mumbled, "You need rest, too...."

Without a word, Tsuzuki lay next to his partner. Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted as well, he closed his eyes and rested his hand on Hisoka's chest. A few minutes later, the two shinigamis' bodies gave in to a short, much-needed, and deserved sleep before they return to EnmaCho.

**End Chapter Eight**

* * *

__

Normal Disclaimer

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	10. Cracking the Code

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Nine - Cracking the Code**

**

* * *

**

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_For more information about the series, I refer you to Theria's website and SakuraCrisis' scanlations. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. SakuraCrisis' scanlations are the best ones out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as references for me to further understanding the series. _

* * *

As soon as Tsuzuki Asato's eyes fluttered open, he bolted from the bed and took a few good minutes to be acquainted with his surroundings. With a wave of rattled panic reflected in his eyes, he looked down to his left and realized that Kurosaki Hisoka slept beside him – still looking pale, but nonetheless seeming much calmer than he did earlier.

The two shinigamis were in Troy's house and fell asleep in his grandfather's bed.

Tsuzuki's chest pounded, as he reminded himself that the two of them did not have the luxury to take a break...let alone sleep when every minute counted. After looking down at his wrist-watched right hand and realizing that only thirty minutes had passed since he closed his eyes, he tried to pacify the racing of his heart.

Quickly getting up from bed, he gathered what they had uncovered hours ago and placed everything in a box - a mason jar of assorted herbs, a larger mason jar with an unidentified concoction, two journals, and a card that Troy's father had written to his mother.

"Tsuzuki...."

The elder shinigami's heart skipped a beat, as he turned around with the box of items at hand and his gaze landed on a weakened and disoriented Hisoka. With a gentle smile, he asked his younger partner as the latter sat on the bed, "Let us go back to EnmaCho. Are you up for it now?"

After letting out an exhausted sigh, Hisoka stood up and almost lost his balance if Tsuzuki were not there to assist him. The young man who normally chastised his partner for any gestures of care or concern was now too weak to even argue, let alone talk.

Hisoka's lack of energy for verbal sparring made Tsuzuki worry more about him. Instead, he kept his concerns to himself, was thankful that there were no undercover work hours for now since it was not a school day, and used most of his spiritual powers to transport the two of them from Troy's home to EnmaCho.

* * *

A large slab of smoky quartz sat alone at the center of a circular wooden table, its owner monitoring the subtle changes that the gem had been undergoing the past couple of weeks….and those miniscule changes now became more blatant during the last three days.

The quartz, which used to be unblemished, now had an unknown onyx-like stone growing inside it. Aside from the dark stone inside the smoky gem, cloud-like shadows embedded inside the quartz now marred its crystal clarity.

As marred as it is, the smoky quartz had a mesmerizing and enigmatic beauty in its new form…as well as an ominous message to send to others, but elating news to its owner.

With his mind vividly picturing the enthralling and mysterious amethyst eyes, as well as their handsome owner, that haunted his dreams and waking hours, a charmingly twisted smile escaped an amused Muraki Kazutaka's lips as he stared at the smoky crystal that served as a divining object for him.

Placing down the medical files that he was reviewing at the nearby end table and standing up from his upholstered chair, he walked over to the wooden table where the crystal rested. As he stared more closely into the ever-transforming stone, he mused, "My pet served me well last night. Strings are not the only ways to control puppets, or have them wrapped around my finger. It's only a matter of time when the spawn will fall in my hands and serve his purposes…followed by my beautiful doll. After that, my dear Tsuzuki-san will follow them like a meek lamb to the slaughterhouse. My gift is about to be unleashed...."

* * *

It was almost seven in the morning...two hours after Tsuzuki and Hisoka returned to the Shokan Division's infirmary.

After the two shinigamis briefed Tatsumi Seiichiro and Watari Yutaka about their findings just outside Troy's room, they handed Watari the two mason jars that they found in Troy's home while Tatsumi divided the workload between the four of them.

All four men had work cut out for them. They had less than four days left before Tsuzuki must kill Troy and take his soul to Meifu.

With the two jars in tow, Watari immediately marched towards the medical laboratory to find a cure for his patient. In between waiting for budget reports from various divisions within EnmaCho, Tatsumi kept tabs with the Gushoshin Twins as the avian gods worked on clues hidden within the hexagram carved on each victim's chest. Tsuzuki and Hisoka sat in respective areas in Watari's office, with the elder shinigami poring through clues in Troy's grandfather's diary while the younger one was busy wrapping up loose ends from the time he researched data with the blonde scientist.

At ten-thirty, an exhausted and grim-looking Watari stepped inside his office after leaving Troy with Chief Konoe. Although his peers were buried in their respective work, each person stopped and focused on the new arrival.

A tightlipped Tatsumi had his gaze transfixed at the blonde scientist. "What are your findings?"

Clearing his throat and retying the ribbon that kept his unruly wavy blond locks in place, Watari replied as he entered and stood in the middle of his office, "Those herbs and that weird liquid that Tsuzuki and Kurosaki-kun brought in are stabilizing Troy."

Tsuzuki stood up, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the desk where he was working. "How's Troy doing?"

Watari looked straight into Tsuzuki's eyes, as he told the other after a heavy sigh. "It doesn't look good, Tsuzuki-san. The kid's blood has a lot of toxins, but there's more going on...."

Silence laced with fear and tension filled the infirmary room, making Hisoka more nauseous and panicked as the rest were bracing themselves on what they were about to hear.

"I've been comparing the blood samples that I took from him before he went home, versus the ones that I recently drew out from him. Although his DNA shows non-human qualities, his body still responds to poisons just as humans would."

Tatsumi pushed back his glasses towards his face. "What about those black scales on his body, Watari? Are they some form of infection?"

Watari sighed and shook his head, wishing that he could give a more optimistic answer. "No, it's not. If it was an infection, there will be foreign antibodies present in his blood to fight it off. There's definitely poison present in his system, but there are no new antibodies. His blood composition, though, now shows a change...."

"Change?" echoed Tsuzuki with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed before him.

The blonde scientist did not respond, as his focus was diverted to the symbols displaying on the monitor where the Gushoshin twins worked. Lifting an index finger as a polite signal that Tsuzuki had to wait a few minutes more for his reply, he went closer to the Twins' computer and examined the zoomed-in anagrams closer. Shortly thereafter, he asked Tatsumi to move so that he could use the computer.

Many minutes of silence after analyzing what Tatsumi had worked on in conjunction with what the Twins had produced, and frantically typing in various solutions to what he saw on the monitors, a shocked and pale Watari muttered under his breath, "Oh, dear...."

"What's wrong?" asked the amethyst-eyed shinigami, as he saw the already-grim concern further clouding his friend's gentle face.

"You're partially right, Kurosaki-kun…. There's an embedded soul extraction ritual within the anagram, but it goes deeper than just the first layer. "Using his right index finger as a pointer to further explain his theory, Watari thoughtfully said as the others gathered behind him, "Once you solve the code's first layer, another set of anagrams are revealed. It's similar to opening a safe...you can't unlock the combination unless you get the first layer right, and everything else thereafter."

After another long pause to examine the anagram layers before him, the scientist continued as he maintained his index finger pointed to the sections that he was browsing, "From the looks of it, the spell works at least four ways. It places a death curse on the victim, extracts the person's soul, and transfers spiritual energy to the demon. If the victim happens to be not fully human, the hexagram nullifies the death curse and then activates the fourth layer – a purification ritual."

As chills traveled down everyone else's spine, Hisoka murmured under his breath as he read the blond scientist's emotions, "It brings the demon out of the victim…."

As Watari stared into his peer's amethyst eyes, he explained, "To answer your question, Tsuzuki-san, Troy's physiology is slowly but surely transforming. He's not healing as fast as he did the last time that he was here, and the poison's affecting his mental and physical processes. His DNA's rearranging, and that's making him less and less human as time passes. I wouldn't be surprised if the toxins in his body were caused by this transformation. Eventually, the stabilizing antidote that I concocted from those herbs and the mixture you've brought in will lose their effect on him."

Tsuzuki ran his fingers through his already-tousled-up hair and down to the nape of his neck, as he made a vain effort to relieve some of the additional tension now coursing through his body. "Is there another way to help him? What's causing him to transform?"

The blonde scientist let out a worried sigh while he crossed his weary arms over his chest. "I don't know what's triggering it, Tsuzuki-san. It might be that nasty scratch from the demon, the hexagram's spells, or the change within him is inevitable. The part that makes matters more complicated is that Muraki's involved in this mess. If we don't get any answers soon, Troy could die or turn into something that we couldn't handle."

Pushing his glasses back once more after looking down on the marbled floor and absorbing all the information that he was hearing, Tatsumi remarked, "We must do whatever we can to save him, but we also must accept the fact that we can lose him."

Tsuzuki's silent resentment over what he just heard was clearly reflected in his amethyst eyes, as they stared back into spectacled and steadfast azure ones.

Feeling rather awkward, Watari informed his peers, "I need to check on our patient and see how he's responding to the antidote." As the three men gave their consenting nods, he turned around and marched back to the infirmary.

"Tatsumi-san's right," said Hisoka, who was feeling woozy but was nonetheless paying attention to the entire conversation since Watari arrived. "Accepting what can happen doesn't mean that we're giving up on him." After many minutes of silence had passed, he then motioned his partner for them to go and visit Troy at the infirmary.

As the three men walked through the series of hallways leading to the infirmary, the flash in Tsuzuki's eyes had already cooled down. He realized that Tatsumi and Hisoka, as blunt as they might seem to be for him, were right. Looking back into the secretary's eyes with slight guilt, he murmured, "I'm sorry, Tatsumi-san. I didn't mean to be rude, or put meaning behind your words."

A slight but understanding smile crept from the Secretary's lips and radiated in his azure eyes, "It's all right. We want to save him, as much as you do…."

Before Tsuzuki could thank his former partner, a series of loud thuds and crashing noises echoed throughout the hallway...the shattering of glass and piercing screams then followed it.

Knowing that the noise came from the infirmary, the three did their respective best to run as fast as they could.

With Tsuzuki leading the pack and being the first one inside the room, he saw Chief Konoe and Watari sprawled on the floor. His two companions, on the other hand, immediately joined the amethyst-eyed shinigami in helping their two stunned comrades. Watari had a deep cut on his now-exposed left shoulder blade, and the elderly chief sported a nasty bruise on his forehead.

Once a shaken Watari and disoriented Chief Konoe were on their feet due to their help, the five men assessed the damage inside the room and could not believe at what they now see....

Almost everything fragile was broken, the bed and other heavy furniture were turned upside-down, the entire room was in disarray, and the thick glass windows lay shattered on the marbled floor….

The one responsible for this destruction, Troy, was no longer there….

**End of Chapter Nine**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	11. Musings

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Ten - Musings**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_This is a nice, long chapter. May you enjoy reading this story, as much as I enjoy writing it ;-D_

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_For more fun YnM terminology:_

**_Kagetsukai_**_ means shadow user or shadow magic user. A **kagetsukai** can manipulate the shadows to do just about anything. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who partnered with Tsuzuki decades ago and the current Secretary for Enmacho, is one of the two shadow magic masters in JuOhCho...the other **kagetsukai** is his teacher._

_For more information about the series, I refer you to Theria's website and SakuraCrisis' scanlations. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. SakuraCrisis' scanlations are the best ones out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as references for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

"Do it! There is no other way!" 

"Leave me alone!" snapped Tsuuri Troy towards those faceless prodding voices echoing inside his head. The voices, as well as his response, were not in Japanese or English - the two languages that he spoke, read, and wrote fluently.

What Troy had been hearing inside his head, as well as his response, was a language that he had never heard or used in his sixteen-year life...yet he understood and spoke it now as if it were his native tongue. His hallucinating mind thought that he was simply slurring his words, as if he was drunk. His mouth barely opened, as he spoke.

In reality, the unearthly language was akin to ritualistic chanting done by a multitude of deep grunting voices...and most of the words' ending syllables sounded similar to the hissing of an angry snake.

For every hour that passed since he escaped from EnmaCho's infirmary, he became paler and more feverish. As pain coursed through his body, he was sweating and shivering. His dark hair was matted from perspiration and dirt, his expressive eyes were unusually wide as they constantly scanned for danger, and his chest conspicuously heaved as it became harder for him to draw breath. Aside from the dark and prominent bags underneath his eyes, those charcoal gray orbs became more sensitive to light as the hours passed.

As he now saw the sun eventually set, he shortly wondered about the past hours and as to how they were spent. To him, every incident since last night was hazy.

Many matters flashed in his mind. His mind kept panning out images...whether they were memories or visions, his fever-addled brain could not tell anymore. He had seen faces in the delirious haze that he was currently suffering. Some of the faces were filled with love, some were friendly, some were taunting, some were sad...and some were evil.

There were also words that resonated, made his ears ring, and sank within the core of his being. Some were warm voices of comfort, some were hurtful and taunting words, some were utterances brimming with happiness and love, some were words of concern from familiar and no-so-familiar faces. There were also words coming from angelic-looking faces that were ominous, cold, and were enough to strike fear within one's soul...as if stabbing one's heart with a knife.

His confused and delirious state led his feet to the church that he normally received and sought emotional sanctuary. His brain, however, could not recall or comprehend the reason why his feet led him there.

He did not know whatever possessed him to break the window at the infirmary, jump out for his escape, and run wherever his legs would lead him. All that he recalled was putting up his hands as a gesture for Watari not to come any closer towards him. He remembered slowly withdrawing away from Watari and Chief Konoe since he was so afraid.

Yet, when that innocent gesture of caution caused the blonde scientist's body to slam hard against the wall, something welled up within him. His debilitating fear transformed into an intoxicating rush when he saw Watari's body slam against the wall.

He also recalled how the elderly man invoked dark magic to pin him down in mystical chains. His body struggled and his mind resented the fact that he was helplessly detained. Those emotions not only released him from his bonds, but also bounced back the spell against the stunned and unsuspecting caster - causing Chief Konoe to follow his subordinate as his body crashed against the wall, shattering fragile objects, and having the heavy furniture flung at the opposite side of the room as if they were made of paper.

For a split second, a pang of guilt crept over him. The two men seemed to be nice people, but so did the man in the white trench coat that he kept seeing in his delirium.

He aimlessly wandered Kyoto for hours with a myriad of emotions plaguing him. Although he did not know who or what he was afraid from, he hid from other people's view from an unknown someone who wanted him dead. His blood boiled, as he sought for an avenue to lash out his undirected but festering pent-up rage at anything or anyone. The surges of emotion sinking and soaring within him were unfamiliar to him. His fingers tightly clutch invisible objects with vise-like and inhuman strength...demonstrating how ruthlessly and quickly those fingers could leech out life, causing his eyes to cast an uncustomary glimmer of evil, and letting his normally gentle lips produce sadistic grins.

After the rush of insanity flowing through his system was a crashing wave of guilt. During those times, brief moments of lucidity visited him. He did remember how he was raised, who he grew up with, where he spent most of his young life at...but for some reason, the details did not matter anymore. Aside from a foreign tongue, he now possessed knowledge that he never had before...matters that border in the arcane, the dark, and the forbidden...things that were not akin to his normally genial nature.

Since his psyche was banished into the abysmal darkness, chanted words were imbedded in his brain and echoed as if they were parts of a mantra. Since his escape, his condition drove his lips to mouth those words but the gnawing guilt at the pit of his stomach would stop him mid-way.

He stumbled his way through the church. The huge crucifix that was suspended above the altar for all to see greeted his arrival. The glimmer cast by the moonlight piercing through the mosaic glass and projecting its colorful shadow on the marbled floor made him feel warm and invited. As his eyes stared at the row of pews, part of his memory recollected as to how he contemplated for hours and left church in peace.

Tonight, however...at a time where he needed the comfort and consolation of this holy haven the most, he felt that he was not worthy enough to step inside the church. He felt as if he were about to be judged and persecuted for some crime that he did not understand nor commit. He wanted to run away once more, yet he knew that he had nowhere else to go. As his body shivered from the fever and nausea, he staggered towards the darkest corner of the church and sat there in complete darkness.

As fear, shame, and confusion ate him inside, another set of footsteps echoed against the marbled floor. He cowered as close to the corner as possible, shrinking himself as much as he could.

"Troy? Are you here?"

His eyes went wide and more sweat flowed down his face. He knew the owner of that concerned voice...it was one of those friendly and comforting voices that he kept hearing inside his head.

"Tsuuri Troy, stop hiding from me! I know you're in here!"

Hearing Ikuru Aiko's voice made his heart jump for joy, but at the same time had him retract in fright. There was now this customary fluttering feeling going overdrive inside his stomach...something that happened to him whenever he felt nervous. Against his willful instinct to continue his seclusion in the dark, he peeked while making sure that he was not seen.

There she was...walking down the marbled aisle while she scanned her surroundings looking for him.

He could not help but contentedly sigh. His heart raced more furiously.

Light from the dimly-lit bulbs, flickering candles, and the piercing moonlight as it passed through the colorful mosaic windows played against Aiko's face – making her chocolate brown eyes glimmer invitingly, having her look like a heavenly vision in her halter-top periwinkle gown and t-strap shoes, and after all these years forcing him to notice and admire her in a different light.

She was a beautiful and welcome sight, and seeing her put a smile on his face and warmed his heart.

This time, another set of emotions came loud and clear in his heart, mind, and body – love and lust. He could not understand as to why his emotions were coursing through his being so vividly, so pure, so unabashed, and so amplified. Disbelief engulfed him, as he contemplated on this latest reminder that he was not acting himself lately. Sure, love and infatuation were exactly how he felt but he mostly had his emotions in check since that fateful day in the fields when they were children.

"Just as an animal unleashed from its cage would act," he mused in sadness as his eyes followed Aiko's fluid movements inside the church, and was reminded of matters that were beyond his reach. A few minutes later, a shrill sound that only he could hear made him cover his ears once more, grunt in pain, and wither further away into a human ball at that dark corner.

She spun around, this time her eyes scanning more frantically. "Troy? Is that you?"

Although he wanted to respond, he chose to keep his silence in the dark corner. How he wished to talk with her, touch her, or even just sit beside her. It was suffocating to deny himself of the pleasure and privilege of being with her, but he felt that he was left with no choice. He once again touched the parts of his body that were now covered in obsidian scales – the main reason why he went berserk at EnmaCho's infirmary and flung at anyone who came near him. The scales that used to be concentrated in his right arm had now spread throughout his chest, stomach, and back.

Now, he was more afraid for Aiko's safety rather than at the possibility of what he could become in the end. He closed his eyes and stifled his sobs of desperation.

"I'm not angry, but I'm so worried about you right now. You're supposed to be my escort for the senior dance, and you don't ditch plans on the last minute unless something's wrong. Please talk to me, and let me help you...."

In the middle of the chanting being repeated inside his brain, as well as the turbulence of his emotions, Troy blushed and managed to muse while slapping his forehead with his shaky and sweaty hand, "Shit! How could I forget? I'm supposed to be her date for tonight!"

Apparently, he was not the only one suffering....

He saw as a sad look became more prominent on her face. It broke his heart to see her melancholy, especially since he knew that he was the root of her sorrow and worry. Nonetheless, he hid in the dark as she began to walk out of the church.

"Go to her!" prodded the voices inside his head in their taunting fashion.

Cursing himself for listening, he left his dark confines and ran after his friend. His sprinting footsteps reverberated against the marble. As soon as he opened the heavy oak door, something hit hit. Whatever it was, it hurled him back inside the church and caused him to land hard on the marbled floor.

The object that crashed against him happened to be Aiko, whose periwinkle silk gown was now torn and bared part of her cleavage and one of her shapely long legs. Although dazed, her face lit up for seconds as she recognized her friend. Worry crept over her, as she knew from staring at Troy's face that he had a fever and was in pain.

With his scaled chest heaving heavily, his normally rich voice being marred with an unexplained gruffness, and his charcoal gray eyes going wide at the sight before them, he took her by the hand and told her, "Stay behind me!"

Seeing the looming figure before them set her heart on panic, made her scream, and made her oblivious that Troy held her right wrist and pulled her towards him with such rough strength.

What stood before them was the demon that terrorized them last night, as well as the very one that plagued his nightmares for many months now.

He was more scared now than ever about the demon before him was not its hideous appearance, but the glint in its eyes. The glowing red eyes that flashed before him, as he now noticed, had reflected familiarity and affiliation with him. However, those eyes also hinted that their demonic owner would not leave until it got what it wanted.

As charcoal gray eyes met crimson orbs, Troy's eyes narrowed and his face turned stern from what he just uncovered from that stare. Using that otherworldly language that he was now accustomed to speaking, he said through gritted teeth, "You...murdered my sister and all those people...."

Aiko gaped at Troy, not believing what she was hearing when he spoke the demonic dialect.

"Do it!" coaxed the voices that led the chants inside his head.

With his fever burning up, he looked upwards at an angle and gazed at the huge wooden cross. As his expressive dark eyes started to turn blood red, and tears began to stream down to his cheeks, he mumbled as he stared at the crucifix, "Please forgive me for what I'm about to do...but I have to go back whence I came...."

Aiko clutched Troy's long-sleeved right arm and tried to pull them as far away from the demon as possible. For a split second, she reacted as if she had touched something foreign from someone so familiar...yet she still ignored her observations while she quivered in fear.

The towering demon slowly approached them with its transfixed crimson gaze set on them. Its feet slapped hard against the marbled floor.

Without removing his sights on the demon, he told his friend as they walked backwards, "Aiko, widen your backward steps until you reach the end of the church. Stay behind me, but as far away from me as possible."

Her heart pounded as she protested, "I don't like the sound of that voice of yours. What are you going to do?"

"I'm fighting my battles for a change," he deadpanned with a cold look in his eyes.

A frown crept over her face, as she gripped his arm. "Troy, you don't look well.... I'm not going to leave you behind, and you're insane to pick a fight against _that_ thing...."

As his tone became more stern and gruffer, he said as he continued walking backwards, "I don't want you to get hurt, Aiko...especially if I'm the one who'll end up hurting you...."

The young woman, walking backwards at a faster pace as the demon's breathing became louder, stared at the back of Troy's head in disbelief. With a voice short from a whisper and a peep, she asked as he held her breath, "You're scaring me! What's going on with you?"

With a vicious glint in his eye, he snapped back without looking behind him, "Whatever happened in the fields has come back to haunt me, so step back before you regret it!"

Still not understanding what was going on, the panicked and puzzled young woman absentmindedly followed his instructions. She turned around and ran towards the end of the church – her high-heeled steps echoing against the marbled floor and resonating throughout the empty church.

Feeling that his friend was now out of the demon's reach, Troy closed his eyes. Calming down his raging emotions to focus, he could now hear the demon's labored breathing and Aiko's whimper of panic from far behind. He most especially could now hear the voices ringing inside his head, and allowed its words to permeate within his being. As his mind and his body were now in harmony with each other, he allowed those chants to resonate and control him.

A hexagram surrounded by two concentric circles appeared underneath his feet.

The two triangles that form the hexagram furiously spun around, as if they were compass pointers going out of whack. This time, an anagram appeared in between the two concentric circles. The inscriptions spun around as well until the triangles formed themselves back to the six-pointed symbol.

He had unlocked the fifth code, which was far and above from the four demonic anagram codes that Watari had already deciphered in EnmaCho.

After various sensations of extreme cold, scorching heat, and excruciating pain coursed through his veins and body, Troy's cold charcoal eyes stared into crimson ones. The hexagram turned into a bluish-purple flame underneath his fee and formed into four distinct cyclones that surrounded him...fire, air, water, and earth. The flame became a mixture of colors ranging from scorching red to flickering violet.

Eventually, the towering demon launched its attack.

As he ran towards the demon while jumping on pews and strategically keeping the battle away from his friend, he picked up the wooden cross that the acolytes normally carried with them at processions during mass.

Aiko gasped as she shook her head and could not believe what she just saw....

Although the wood became a crucifix-shaped flame in Troy's hands, he remained unharmed. Using the fiery object as a javelin, he flung with such unbelievable strength it until it skewered the demon. Screaming violently and with its screams echoing throughout the church, the demon turned into a mass of bluish-green flame.

Just as it was expected, the single mass of flame became two before their very eyes and formed into two demons. Each monster was much taller than the fallen predecessor was.

Instantaneously, two demons lunged at him. Before the second one could lay a claw on him, the creature screamed as Fuda paper came in contact against its scaly obsidian flesh.

The Fuda paper's spell caster, Tsuzuki, jumped from the balcony and skipped through pews at record speed.

The first demon wrestled against Troy on the marbled floor and tore part of his shirt in efforts to tear through flesh. As flames radiated from the young man's hands and scorched its scaly flesh, it kicked his adversary.

Troy was thrown towards the back of the church just a few feet away from Hisoka, Tatsumi, and Aiko.

Tsuzuki threw a piece of Fuda paper towards the first demon, making the creature roar in pain as its flesh burned from the spell. He stared at the two masses of flaming demonic flesh before them, which slowly disintegrated and turned into four demons…each creature stood almost eight feet tall and looking more ferocious than its two fallen comrades.

"Ready to put your spell training to the test, Kurosaki-kun?" suggested Tatsumi, as he opened the palm of his hand and shadows danced over it. "Your defensive powers are strong, so...."

"I'll keep her safe," Hisoka reassured Tatsumi while he saw the gusts of wind and flame that Tsuzuki caused for summoning Suzaku.

Tatsumi ran towards Troy and helped him stand up. He advised the fever-ridden young man, "Go to your friend, and stay with her. Kurosaki-kun will keep both of you safe."

Wild charcoal gray eyes marred with crimson irises glared back at the Secretary, as their owner said in between hot tears and heaving breaths, "That _thing_ out there killed my sister. That _thing _needs to pay for what it did."

Tatsumi was taken aback from Troy's blank gaze. Finally understanding why he attacked Watari and Chief Konoe, along with empathizing the young man's sentiments due to his own past, he told the other in his most gentle voice, "You may not remember who we are, but you have to trust us, Tsuuri-kun. Please stay with your friend and keep her safe...."

For a couple of minutes, it seemed as if a moment of lucidity rested in Troy as he looked into assuring azure eyes and nodded. He turned and limped away to join Aiko and Hisoka at the foot of the Virgin Mary's statue. As soon as he joined them, Hisoka conjured up a protective barrier for the three of them.

The two former partners stood side-by-side while Suzaku hovered above Tsuzuki and the shadows danced around Tatsumi. As amethyst and azure glared against their four demonic foes, the two men carried out their deadly assault – each taking two opponents.

As some of Tatsumi's shadows wrapped around the two demons in a vise while the rest formed into dark arrows and continuously shot their captives, Tsuzuki commanded Suzaku to unleash her purifying flames on the other two demons.

Many minutes later, the four creatures let out their bloodcurdling roars as they disintegrated into thin air. Before disappearing, another set of screams traveled through the church, as the demons' roars died down...

They were Aiko's and Troy's screams....

Knowing that they permanently vanquished the four demons, Tsuzuki and Tatsumi ran back to their companions. The two stopped dead in their tracks, braced themselves, and gritted their teeth from what they saw....

Troy, whose obsidian scales were now seen through the torn parts of his shirt, shook violently as he knelt on the floor and kept his gaze at the sight a few feet ahead of him.

Aiko now lay in a pool of her own blood.

Then there was Muraki, relishing every moment as he held an unconscious Hisoka in front of him. Brandishing an already-bloody knife against the emerald-eyed shinigami's neck, he had already inflicted deep gashes on the young man's flesh.

Tatsumi pushed his glasses back on his face while giving Muraki his customary death glare.

As the evil doctor saw an incensed Tatsumi and an outraged Tsuzuki, he smirked and said, "Ah, Tsuzuki-san...didn't I keep reminding you that you have to be careful? I'd hate to see you lose anyone special. Yet again, who can say that my blood's not stirred at the lovely sight before me?"

"You sick bastard!" spat Tsuzuki, as his anger produced gusts of flame, wind, and unknown forces that cracked the marble he stood on. "I told you to leave them alone!"

With Muraki's lust and adrenaline rushing in his body and exhilarating him, his lips curled into a charmingly twisted smile. "You know that I don't make things easy for anyone...that is the beauty of our relationship. However, I haven't come for you or my doll at this time. I've come to introduce myself to our young friend."

"You're not going to bring anyone with you!" retorted Tatsumi with customary coldness. The shadows swirled around him as they reacted to his overflowing but unspoken emotions and waited for his command.

"Listen to me, Tsuuri Troy. You know that this world isn't meant for you, especially in your current state. To prove that point to you, my pet's claws were dipped with a poison designed to bring out the real you...."

Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Troy shuddered from this latest revelation.

Troy's tear-filled eyes seethed in rage, and their normal charcoal color entirely became crimson red. As he clung on to Aiko, his chest constricted and his body shook. "Y – You caused all of this? Do you know what hell I've been going through?"

Referring to Aiko, the spectacled doctor grinned. "Aren't you pleased that I removed an impediment for you?"

"What kind of monster are you?" asked a seething Tsuzuki. His festering anger made his amethyst eyes more appealing and enthralling for the crazed doctor.

"You may find that we have a lot of similarities, Tsuzuki-san. After all, you and I belong from the same womb and this boy has been promised to me. He's mine to claim and to play with...." Muraki then intently looked at Troy and invitingly extended his well-shaped but bloodied hand. "I have the antidote for your malady. However, that comes with a price. Come with me now, and there will be no more bloodshed."

The young man's tears were replaced with a sarcastic grin that marred his kind features. His laughter eventually reverberated, as he glared at Muraki with such venomous rage. "If you've wanted to kill me, all you have to do is tell me. Why did you have to involve other people?"

With his silky voice, he gently told the unstable young man, "I don't wish to kill you. What if I say that you have the dark powers to do anything that you wish? You can defy nature and the eventualities that stem from being a pathetic mortal, even death. All I wish from you is access to that power, and I'll help you unlock them."

"Don't listen to him, Troy!" cried out Tsuzuki at the top of his lungs, his amethyst sights still mostly focused on his unconscious partner. "Aiko needs you…."

"A – Aiko's already dead," said Troy while clutching her tightly. He broke down once more, as he covered his face with a bloody and quivering hand.

The evil doctor's eye glinted. "You can defy death, if you wish. The only price that you have to pay is to come with me and let me help you."

"I can bring her back?" whispered Troy, as he stared at his friend.

"Yes, and you can do so much more," said Muraki with his tone oozing with such seduction and persuasion. Once again offering an open hand as he held Hisoka with the other, he repeated, "Come with me…."

Tsuzuki and Tatsumi braced themselves, each man itching for an opening to attack Muraki.

After giving Aiko another meaningful and melancholic stare, Troy planted a lingering kiss on her cheek. Tears freely flowed from him, as the cooling flesh he made contact with reminded him that she was already dead. He laid her body on the marbled floor, stood up and glared at the doctor, and was mindful of Hisoka's helpless predicament.

"So, what would it be?" asked Muraki as he met the young man's gaze with such taunting.

"All right, you sick fuck…I'll come with you on one condition," murmured Troy with his fists clenched. As he motioned towards the doctor's captive, he said, "First, let him go…."

After spending many minutes considering the young man's proposal, the platinum-haired man relaxed his stance and was about to let Hisoka go.

Tsuzuki, who had been on nerves' edge since he accepted his Kyoto assignments, held his breath. Seeing that glint in his nemesis' eye, his amethyst eyes went wide in panic as he screamed and ran towards them.

Tatsumi followed his former partner's lead, knowing what flashed inside Tsuzuki's mind.

In a split second, Muraki's muscles tensed up as he possessively clutched an unconscious Hisoka. His laughter echoed throughout the church as he drove the knife straight down to Hisoka's heart.

**End of Chapter Ten**

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**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	12. Trials and Tribulations

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Eleven – Trials and Tribulations**

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**_To the Reader_**

_This is another equally long chapter. May you enjoy reading this story, as much as I enjoy writing it ;-D_

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_Here is more YnM terminology...._

_**Bon, **as used in the series, means kid. It is also the affectionate nickname that Watari uses for Hisoka, and Oriya called Hisoka **Bon** when they dueled in Kokakuro during the Kyoto story arc._

_**Gensoukai **is the realm where the shikigamis live, and where Tsuzuki frequents when he needs time to think or relax. Suzaku, Byakko, Sohryu, and Genbu are the four legendary and divine gods that inhabit the realm (with Sohryu being the leader)....along with other shikigamis such as Touda. **Gensoukai's** environment is reminiscent of ancient China._

_**Kagetsukai **means shadow user or shadow magic user. A **kagetsukai **can manipulate the shadows to do just about anything. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who partnered with Tsuzuki decades ago and the current Secretary for EnmaCho, is one of the two shadow magic masters in JuOhCho...the other **kagetsukai** is his teacher._

**_Ooryu Dragon_ **_is the name of the high-level, winged dragon that Muraki Kazutaka summons during the Nagasaki story arc. I do not know if you could consider the dragon as Muraki's shikigami, but it makes Tsuzuki wonder if Muraki is human since he could summon such a high-level monster._

**_ReiBaku or Soul Catcher_**_ is one of the spells that Chief Konoe teaches Kurosaki Hisoka. Per Hisoka's request, Konoe has been teaching the young shinigami magic spells in his desire to be a powerful equal to Tsuzuki Asato. Hisoka eventually uses the **ReiBaku** or **Soul Catcher **to separate Sagatanas from Tsuzuki (after the demon and the leader of the wandering spirits possesses Tsuzuki) in the Devil's Trill story arc. For the purposes of this fic, I will be using the word ReiBaku to refer to this spell._

_For more information about the series, I refer you to **Theria's** website and **SakuraCrisis'** scanlations. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. SakuraCrisis' scanlations are the best ones out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as references for me to further understanding the series._

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Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Troy's eyes went wide as Muraki drove the glinting dagger down to Hisoka's heart. Frantic yells coming from the three filled the church and mingled with the doctor's malevolent laughter. 

The laughter, however, was replaced by piercing screams coming from the doctor. The dagger in Muraki's hand liquefied and its molten metal burned his hand.

Pandemonium broke loose the second before Muraki plunged the knife down to Hisoka's heart. The dagger liquefied and its molten metal burned Muraki's hand.

Tatsumi's shadows immediately struck Muraki, causing the latter to drop Hisoka on the floor near Troy and Aiko. Tsuzuki, on the other hand, rushed to get Hisoka...only to be stopped by an unseen force and hurled from afar. He crashed against Tatsumi and knocked the secretary down to the floor along with him.

A violent gust of wind, water, soil, and fire blew fiercely...its combined strength flung Muraki against the statues and as far away from Troy as possible. Although he was stunned, Muraki began the summoning ritual for his three-headed Ooryu Dragon.

Seeing what the evil doctor was doing, Tatsumi and Tsuzuki stood up as quickly as they could from the floor. Tatsumi ran towards Troy and Hisoka, while Tsuzuki closed his eyes and followed Muraki's lead as he chanted....

_I bow to thee and beseech you,_

_The Twelve Gods that protect me,_

_Appear before me!_

_Come out, Suzaku!_

Troy crawled on the floor towards Hisoka. He tried to pull the shinigami closer to where Aiko and he were situated but to no avail. Minutes later, Tatsumi came to the rescue and helped the young man secure Hisoka to safety.

Suzaku and the Ooryu Dragon exchanged multiple blows that deflected the other's attack. However, the Ooryu Dragon directed one of its attacks somewhere else other than Tsuzuki or Suzaku....

One of the dragon's heads directed a full-force stream of fire towards Tatsumi and the others.

Tsuzuki ordered Suzaku to launch a series of attacks that destroyed the Ooryu Dragon and cut one-third of the stream of fire.

However, two-thirds of the Ooryu Dragon's attack still headed towards her master's companions and left her master stunned, as to what happened next....

The dragon's flame was absorbed a few feet before reaching and injuring Tatsumi, Hisoka, and Troy...and Tatsumi's shadows were not responsible for protecting them.

Troy fell down on his knees and was short of breath.

From the fiery battlefield that he and Tsuzuki shared, Muraki glanced at Troy's direction with a twisted smirk curling from his lips. "A spirit shield...so, you've finally managed to unlock some of your powers. I'm very pleased."

Still suffering from the throes of fever and feeling the demonic change taking over him, Troy's body shivered and it became more difficult for him to breathe. He was on his hands and knees on the marbled floor, and there was little that Tatsumi could do to comfort or help him. As gut wrenching as it was for Troy, he stared at Aiko as his last resort to maintain control.

Muraki walked towards the church's sanctuary and stood a few feet before the ailing young man...just enough distance for everyone to see the vial that he held in his left hand, as well as the burns resulting from the melted dagger mishap. "If you wish to stop the pain, just come with me and I'll give you the cure to your problems."

Troy cringed and screamed in pain, as a hexagram appeared underneath him and an unseen power flung a startled Tatsumi against the pews. The six-pointed star radiated a blinding light as the concentric circles, the fourth anagram, and the triangles that form the mystical symbol spun out of control.

Then a new set of anagrams appeared and emitted a different but equally blinding light.

After helping Tatsumi to his feet, Tsuzuki's eyes went wide as he understood what was going on, "The fifth code...one layer of anagrams represents a point of the hexagram...."

Before everyone's eyes, Troy's clothes tore off from his body as he transformed into the towering obsidian-scaled creature that committed the murders. Now standing at eight feet tall and with a muscular built, he released a reverberating roar that shattered all the church's mosaic windows.

"How do you like my new present, Tsuzuki-san?" asked Muraki, as his maniacal laughter echoed throughout the church along with the flickering flames caused by his earlier supernatural battle against the shinigami.

Tsuzuki and Tatsumi were stunned and speechless, as Suzaku hovered over them and a multitude of shadows swirled around...all of the supernatural servants waiting for instructions.

Muraki's blue eye glinted, and his lips let out a twisted smirk that oozed out of his voice. "I know how to share my toys. I'll leave my new and more permanent pet with you. I'm sure that my present will have fun tormenting my beautiful doll before he shreds him to pieces...as an offering to me."

Immediately thereafter, white feathers fell from the church ceiling and marked the customary disappearance of the evil doctor.

Tsuzuki and Tatsumi stood side-by-side in disbelief. The handsome and innocent face that they remembered was now replaced with a towering demonic facade with sinister red eyes, a sleek body covered with shiny obsidian scales, protruding fangs, and sharp metal-like nails. They held their breath as they saw the demon that Troy turned into grab an unconscious Hisoka by the shirt collar, lift his scaly obsidian arm, and flash his metal-like nails.

"Tsuzuki..." gasped Tatsumi, as his former partner grabbed him by the arm. He was just a split-second away from calling out his shadows to launch an attack against Troy.

"He's not at fault. Troy doesn't know what's happening to him. We have to find another way," replied Tsuzuki, as he looked directly into Tatsumi's eyes.

Even though the secretary disagreed with his former partner's strategy, he nonetheless relented and telepathically communicated with his shadows to retreat into the darkness. The amethyst eyes that he stared into sent a clear message not to harm Troy, as if their owner was begging for his own life.

Knowing that Suzaku's screeching caused the demonic Troy to become more agitated, Tsuzuki closed his eyes and dismissed his shikigami.

The phoenix flapped her wings and screeched her disagreement, but nonetheless giving in to her master's command once she was mentally assured that she would be summoned once again if things go awry.

As soon as Suzaku followed her master's request and returned to Gensoukai, a conflicted Tsuzuki mused as some tears flowed down his cheeks, _"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. There's some good left in Troy...I know it...but the second before he digs one of those nails on Hisoka, I'll kill him...."_

Bracing for the inevitable, but praying for the best possible outcome, Tsuzuki clenched his fists and cried out as his body shook, "Troy...please stop! It's me, Tsuzuki!"

Tatsumi observed the demon's every move through vigilant eyes. When the demon was standing before Hisoka and Aiko, he leaned forward...but before he could carry out his plan, Tsuzuki looked at him with eyes begging the secretary to give him more time.

Tsuzuki, still refusing to give up but pushing his emotions to the edge, repeatedly called out Troy's name. By his fourth plead, a glint of recognition flashed in the towering demon's crimson eyes.

Demon Troy let out a pained and furious roar...

Instantaneously, the huge wood-and-ivory crucifix suspended above the altar self-combusted. The flame spread throughout the church's high ceilings.

At the same time, two cyclones filled with fine sand and sharp slivers of metal debris – one on the left, and another on the right – danced through the two columns of pews and destroyed everything in their respective paths. Strong wind gusted throughout the church, helping the cyclone decimate the pews faster and for the now-flaming crucifix to burn more furiously.

The smoke and the myriad of intense emotions drove Tsuzuki into tears, as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I understand what you're going through, Troy! If you want to hurt or kill someone, I'm here! Hurt me, or kill me...just don't do it to Hisoka!"

Tatsumi's eyes rarely narrowed as they did now, as the shadows under his command poised once more for attack. His shadows shot out from the dark, intended to kill Troy. Halfway through his shadows' full-scale attack against their target, his eyes went wide. He called out for his shadows to halt....

The murderous glint in Troy's now-demonic eyes diminished, and his grip on Hisoka loosened. He let out a furious roar that sounded much different from the one that Tatsumi and Tsuzuki heard earlier. As the demon released Hisoka, the hexagram of light appeared under his feet. He scooped Aiko from the floor and disappeared with her body along with the hexagram.

The two men ran towards Hisoka and scanned their devastated surroundings with chills traveling down their spine. They saw the burning wood-and-ivory cross that hung above the sanctuary fall from the ceiling and shatter as it crashed against the floor. Once they secured Hisoka, they disappeared and returned to EnmaCho long before the church's foundations collapsed and continued to burn throughout the night.

* * *

After examining his patient, Watari returned to EnmaCho's infirmary and confirmed to Tsuzuki and Tatsumi that Hisoka overloaded. As relieved as they were that Hisoka was not seriously injured, their hearts sank when Watari indicated that he did not have an idea as to when Hisoka would awaken. 

"How about Tsuuri Troy?" asked Chief Konoe, who leaned against the doorframe and listened to Watari's update on Hisoka's condition.

Straightening his glasses, Watari replied, "I still haven't created an antidote for his transformation. I'll keep everyone posted, as soon as I get the results."

"Our retrieval's an element user. That's the most plausible explanation as to how he could summon cyclones and flames," remarked Tatsumi, as his transfixed gaze was focused on Hisoka.

Tsuzuki touched the nape of his neck, and mumbled as he thought about his retrieval, "Is that what you call that type of power?"

Tatsumi nodded, as he recalled his training and growth as a kagetsukai. "Elementals normally command one element - whether it be fire, water, metal, wood, wind, or earth. Last night showed that Tsuuri-kun could summon any of the six elements, but he couldn't control any of them. He could easily injure anybody, including himself...especially in his current state of mind. As of now, his abilities are controlling him rather than the other way around. However, something still doesn't make sense to me. Some of the powers that I saw last night, especially a spirit shield, doesn't coincide with an elemental's gifts."

Watari rubbed his chin, as his right eyebrow rose. "You both said that the anagram appeared?"

Tatsumi and Tsuzuki affirmatively nodded.

The scientist removed and retied the silk bow that customarily secured his blonde hair, as his handsome faced radiated a glint of hope. "It means that Troy's not totally out of control, as you think he is."

"What do you mean?" asked Tatsumi, as he looked at his blonde peer with probing eyes.

Watari removed his glasses and cleaned them using a portion of his white laboratory coat, as he explained, "The fifth anagram, once Troy unlocked it, was supposed to transform and retain him in his demon form. Aside from that, he listened to Tsuzuki and spared Hisoka in spite of the poison that's working in his system. He's fighting this change every step in the way."

Chief Konoe, feeling sorry for Hisoka, stared at the young man for most of his presence inside the infirmary. "Kurosaki's been learning spells from me since he joined the Shokan Division. His powers are growing, and his body and psyche must be adjusting to accommodate that change. The spells he's been mastering lately require a lot of psychic energy to activate, let alone control."

The three younger men gaped at their chief, as they pondered on his explanation...

"That explains why Bon's been fainting and overloading more often. What type of spells have you been teaching him, Chief?" asked Watari, as he quieted down 003 by gently smoothing her feathers with his index finger.

"Offensive ones...spells that place the ReiBaku into the child's play category."

As Tatsumi and Watari inconspicuously shuddered from what they just heard, Tsuzuki stared at his left hand and recalled a time wherein Hisoka accidentally injured him during their first days as partners. He finally recovered his composure, and managed to mutter under his breath, "Hisoka's an empath, Chief. Although his gifts mostly harness defensive magic, he can build offensive strength through obtaining a shikigami. Harnessing such power through his own goes against the nature of his empathy, and that can destroy him."

The elderly chief buried his hands inside his trouser pockets, as he responded, "I didn't want to train Kurosaki on those spells yet, but he's been insistent to learn them...especially recently. I have faith that he'll gain mastery of those spells before those spells break him."

After many minutes' worth of silenced passed between the four men, Chief Konoe cleared his throat and said, "Tatsumi-san, we're leaving thirty minutes from now for the bi-weekly meeting at EnmaDaiOh's court." Once he received a slight but reverent bow of acknowledgement from his secretary, he left the infirmary.

Shortly thereafter, Watari excused himself to go to the laboratory.

Once he and Tatsumi were left alone with Hisoka, Tsuzuki lifted his chair and moved it as close to Hisoka's bed as possible. He leaned forward, held his young partner's hand, lifted it close to his face, and clutched it with such longing and pain.

Tatsumi stood a few feet behind Tsuzuki, and watched as his former partner quietly agonized. Sinking into a state of despair and guilt himself, he wished that he could do something to ease his former partner's burden....

Resting his forehead against Hisoka's hand and drenching it with his silent tears, Tsuzuki mused, "I'm sorry, Hisoka. You're already dealing with an emotionally unstable partner, and then having to retrieve a person whose going through such hardships...it must be so hard for you. How could I expect you to rely on me for strength, when I'm not even strong enough to protect you from all of this?"

After many minutes had passed, Tatsumi approached Tsuzuki until he stood at the shinigami's left side...his empathetic glance shifting from Tsuzuki to Hisoka, and then back to Tsuzuki. Once he pondered on what to say, he pushed back his glasses and asked, "Since we've taken this assignment, have you ever considered how you're doing throughout this entire time?"

Tsuzuki did not reply and continued his gaze at Hisoka.

A burdened but silent sigh escaped from Tatsumi. "This case isn't easy for everyone, especially for you."

"I know that you don't like seeing me like this, but I can't help but feel so responsible for everything. Aiko's now dead, Hisoka and Troy are in danger, Troy's missing, and there's nothing that I could do to protect any of them from Muraki."

"What happened at the church isn't your fault...and we will find Troy."

"Some people may not think the way that you do...." said Tsuzuki before his sad voice trailed off, and once again wished in his heart that Hisoka would awaken very soon.

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, as he stared at his pained former partner. "Nobody's putting the blame on you, and no one should make such an accusation against you. Who are you referring to?"

Shaking his head in resigned silence, Tsuzuki murmured, "It's nothing, Tatsumi...."

The secretary's probing eyes stayed on Tsuzuki and tried to figure out the hidden message from the tightlipped response. "If it was within my power, I wouldn't assign you to this case. We only have three days left to retrieve Troy's soul. If you want to step away from this case, just give word and -"

Tsuzuki did not move from his seat and kept his gaze on Hisoka. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I want to see this case through."

"We don't want to lose you again, Tsuzuki-san...."

Feeling as if he was about to break down any minute, Tsuzuki remembered the incident at Shion University and Touda's flames. He lay his head on Hisoka's bed, as he held his partner's limp hand and closed his eyes while musing, "You won't lose me. I made a promise to you, Hisoka. I'll be there for you, no matter what happens...."

Respecting his former partner's silence, a half-smile graced Tatsumi's face as he placed a consoling hand on Tsuzuki's back. "As much as Kurosaki-kun needs us more than he's willing to admit, he's strong in his own right. He'll come out stronger in the end, just as all of us would when this case is all over...you'll see."

From an angle, Tatsumi's smile widened as he saw a slowly pacifying Tsuzuki slip into sleep. After he cautiously lifted his hand of consolation, he removed his dark brown trench coat, draped his coat on Tsuzuki as a blanket, and stepped outside the room to prepare with Konoe for their bi-weekly meeting.

As Watari met him at the hallway, the blonde scientist asked, "How's Tsuzuki doing?"

Tatsumi motioned Watari to walk with him towards his office. Once the two men built up the appropriate pace, he explained, "Tsuzuki's hanging in there, although I'm not so sure for how long. I don't know how he'll be able to handle it when it's time for us to retrieve Tsuuri-kun."

They finally reached Tatsumi's office. Once they were there, the audible shuffling of papers were heard as the secretary slipped in folders of paperwork inside his briefcase.

A grim-sounding Watari replied, as he closed Tatsumi's office door and leaned against it, "Unfortunately, I don't think that you have anything to worry about in that department. The poison has spread throughout his system, and is now affecting his organs. I don't know if it was Tsuzuki's Fuda spell that halted Troy's change, or if Troy blocked his own transformation. When the transformation was blocked, the only way to save his life was blocked, too. Unless he completely and permanently turns into a demon, or a miracle beyond our grasp happens, Troy will die within a matter of hours or days."

While organizing the paperwork on his desk in neat piles, Tatsumi asked, "Would you still search for a cure, while we work together in preparing for the worst?"

Crossing his arms over him and hugging his patients' medical charts, Watari nodded his head. "Poor Tsuzuki...not only does he have to deal with Ikuru's death, Bon's illness, and Troy's transformation. He has to deal with that idiotic division head's harassment."

Tatsumi's eyes went wide at first, and then narrowed in stunned and silent rage. He stopped everything that he was doing to prepare for his meeting and stared into Watari's eyes. "What do you mean _harassment?_"

Taken aback for a second, Watari explained, "Wakaba told me that the Peace Preservation Chief bumped into Tsuzuki this morning and...."

Watari's words became blurred to Tatsumi, as soon as he heard from the blonde scientist as to how Tsuzuki reacted from the Division Chief's comment. He vividly pictured in his mind's eye how hurt Tsuzuki was during the conversation he had with the division head at the infirmary. He saw and heard nothing but his servant shadows flickering, wailing, and waiting to come out and exact a fitting revenge on anyone who dare hurt those he cared for...especially Tsuzuki.

* * *

As usual, the bi-weekly multi-divisional secretaries' meeting ended before their superiors' proceedings. Tatsumi, being the secretary and budgetary advisor for the Shokan Division and EnmaCho, presided the two-hour meeting. The formality would have been reduced by thirty minutes, if the bickering between departments did not occur...and the meeting would still be ongoing if Tatsumi did not put a quiet but forceful stop to the squabbling. 

While his peers left to end their workday, Tatsumi sat on the posh leather couch and worked on budgetary figures while waiting for Chief Konoe. From time to time, his eyes narrowed and his hand clenched his red pencil harder as he thought and fumed over the information that Watari shared with him earlier. His briefcase carried a heavier workload, since he anticipated the multi-divisional proceedings to take longer than usual. Before him stood a towering door made of gold, silver, and bronze – the door where only a privileged few were allowed to enter, and most were only given one opportunity in their afterlife to have an audience with EnmaDaiOh.

Only a handful of those privileged few were able to see EnmaDaiOh...and none of them knew the Lord of Hades' true face.

Staring at the cold-looking door before him, Tatsumi recalled the few times that he had spoken with EnmaDaiOh. His first meeting with the Lord of Hades was when he became a shinigami, and the rest concerned highly confidential divisional and multi-divisional matters. Even though he should have been more acquainted with such intimidating surroundings, he always kept a wary eye inside EnmaDaiOh's inner sanctum.

For the first time, Tatsumi incorrectly gauged the right amount of paperwork to take with him. Although he took a heavier load with him, he finished and proofread his work many times before returning them inside his briefcase. Afterwards, he completed his projections for the burned church and other liabilities resulting from that incident.

Now left with nothing to do, he could not help but shift his glance between his wristwatch and the door, frowning and pondering, "It's been three hours since they all went inside... there's no sign that they're even halfway through this meeting. Something _must _be up...."

Tatsumi did not know that he was right.

The multi-divisional meeting was even more brutal than it normally was. The proceedings highlighted discussions as to how the recent events – starting from the defeat of Sagatanas up to the present – had changed the course of events towards the inevitable...the very prophetic event that everyone feared would come true....

Once again, most of the chiefs had Tsuzuki Asato to blame for their miseries.

"Tsuzuki owes his existence to EnmaDaiOh, yet he repays it by causing havoc! Now he just destroyed a church in Kyoto, and a girl died as a result of his incompetence!" cried out the Chief from the Peace Preservation Division, as he slammed his hands for the fourth time against the mahogany conference table.

Konoe stood up and glared as his customary nemesis in these proceedings. "Tsuzuki did not cause the church to be destroyed, and Muraki murdered Ikuru Aiko! If there's anyone here who owes something to someone, it's your Division...starting with an apology to Tsuzuki, my staff, and me for your unsubstantiated insults!"

Another one of his peers, the Chief from the Reincarnation Division, drummed his fingers against the shared circular table many feet before an elaborate and raised dais. With a watchful eye, he asked his peer, "Why do you keep covering for his treachery, Konoe? If you keep up your faith on Tsuzuki and your inept shinigamis, the prestige that your Division richly upholds will be pulled down...by that time, your high prestige will be comparable to the paltry salaries that you all make."

Gritting his teeth and wishing to punch someone...something that his nature would normally not resort to...Konoe retorted with a dagger glare, "I am _not_ covering up for him, and neither is Tsuzuki hiding from his mistakes! He's been paying for the damages that he has made all this time, and you can't blame him for being involved in these high-profile incidents. The demon world has been trying to kill him, and Doctor Muraki has been pursuing him! He was merely defending himself, and those around him!"

The head of the Advocate Division shook his head and snorted. "That's a joke! Tsuzuki makes such a paltry salary to pay for even a fraction of the damage that he made in the past decades, let alone this year. Having him here in EnmaCho gives him and his shikigami the opportunity to decimate JuOhCho. It was stupid not to punish and banish Tsuzuki immediately after the Sagatanas incident!"

His temper now on the edge, and no longer mindful on observing decorum and civility before EnmaDaiOh and his peers, Konoe yelled back, "I didn't hear Peace Preservation, or anyone complain about Tsuzuki or my Division when you've asked us to save your scrawny hides. In fact, I didn't even here a word of gratitude coming from any of you!"

Dismissively snickering, the Peace Preservation Chief intently said, "Either you're an idiot or you're blind! At least your precious shinigami had half a brain to admit that he's responsible!"

Hoping that his most hated peer did not do the unthinkable, Konoe asked through clenched fists and narrowed eyes, "What did you do?"

With a sarcastic smirk, the Peace Preservation Chief responded, "Simple...I told Tsuzuki that he destroys everything that he touches."

In a second, the blood rushed to Konoe's head. Having heard more than enough, he pushed back his sleeves and lunged at his obnoxious nemesis. As his other peers stopped him, the voice belonging to the unseen occupant of the raised dais thundered, "Enough!"

All the men immediately kept silent as that fearful voice echoed and filled the meeting chamber. Those who passionately rose from their seats meekly retreated to their spots.

The angry owner of that thundering voice, EnmaDaiOh, moved about his throne as he told everyone: "I have already received the incident report from Chief Konoe and Secretary Tatsumi Seiichiro about this matter. I asked you gentlemen to meet with me regarding upcoming events...not to harass Konoe, nor to bicker on how Tsuzuki Asato doesn't fit into your definition of our plans!"

"But my lord -" stammered the Peace Preservation Chief with pleading eyes.

Before the Advocate Division Chief finished his sentence, EnmaDaiOh's unearthly eyes flashed. Although the division chiefs did not see him, they somehow knew that the Lord of Hades glared down at them. This time, the Advocate Chief knew that burning eyes were transfixed on him as everyone heard EnmaDaiOh say, "I was the one who found no fault in Tsuzuki for the Sagatanas incident! I know who's expendable or not, and I'm the only one who sees where the future's heading! Do any of you consider my judgment and decision as downright _stupid?_"

All the men present muttered, "No, my lord...."

EnmaDaiOh's insatiable anger and piercing eyes reflected in his booming voice. "Do any of you dare question _my_ authority?"

"Forgive me, my lord. I didn't intend on having my words be perceived as such, and it would never happen again..." stammered the Advocate Division Chief.

Although his other peer from the Peace Preservation Division felt the urge to apologize to the Lord of Death, the intimidating fear already filled his being and stopped him from such gesture.

After a long period of silence filled the huge meeting room, EnmaDaiOh muttered, "There won't be a next time. I assure everyone of that fact. Have I made myself _perfectly _clear?"

The men around the huge circular table stared at each other without a sound...each one not daring to draw any more attention or ire.

"Answer me!"

"Y – Yes, my lord..." said all the attendees, as they shuddered in their seats.

EnmaDaiOh's burning eyes now concentrated on the Peace Preservation Chief. "Next time, the Division Chief that questions any of my decisions regarding Tsuzuki Asato will have their Cho's budget slashed in half and given to the Shokan Division. Anyone who wastes my valuable time will face demotion and a pay cut...that is, if I don't decide to destroy that person first. I'm sure that Tatsumi Seiichiro will be happy and relentless in enforcing my budgetary edict, and that Chief Konoe will be grateful from receiving a long-overdue raise."

Many minutes later, EnmaDaiOh declared to the silent and fearful chiefs. "These proceedings will resume next week. You are all dismissed, with the exception of Konoe."

Everyone rose from their seats and left in a single file – leaving Konoe and EnmaDaiOh alone in the huge chamber.

Observing customary procedure, Konoe approached the throne area until he was twenty paces from it, gave a reverent bow before its unseen occupant, and said, "I apologize for my behavior today, my lord."

A semi-pacified EnmaDaiOh nonchalantly replied, "You shouldn't apologize for defending your convictions, or your staff. I'd like to know how Tsuzuki is handling the minor case."

After letting out a sigh and keeping silent for a few minutes, a tightlipped Konoe admitted, "He's doing his best, considering the circumstances. He's burdened about Kurosaki's weakening health, Ikuru's sudden death, and Tsuuri's crumbling sanity. Tsuzuki had already served Troy the summons last night, so it's just a matter of time before the case wraps up."

"Kurosaki's condition will pass, as you know through experience and observation. Would Tsuuri Troy's predicament, however, make matters easier for Tsuzuki?"

"I'm afraid not, my lord. Tsuzuki would like Tsuuri to live a long and happy life. The retrieval isn't the only matter that bothers Tsuzuki...it's also the fact that the boy wants to die and it's up to Tsuzuki to take his soul back to Meifu."

EnmaDaiOh shifted from his ornate throne. "Is Muraki involved in the major case, just as we have suspected?"

"Yes. He summoned a demon to perform the murders, and now Tsuuri Troy's turning into one of them."

"I see.... The grandson has been a bigger thorn on our side compared to his grandfather and father. For generations, the Muraki family has caused nothing but trouble for Hades."

Recalling all the reports of harassment that Muraki had done against Tsuzuki, Konoe confirmed, "The grandson won't stop, until he breaks Tsuzuki."

"For now, I have faith that matters will be resolved without my..._personal intervention._ I'm sure that your Division can handle such trivialities. Tsuzuki has a purpose far greater than being a human's pawn or plaything. He's meant to satisfy my purpose, and my purpose alone. The same goes with everyone else who serves me."

Long silence filled the room for many minutes.

Knowing that he could not draw out as much fear from the Shokan Division Chief as he would from the others, EnmaDaiOh relaxed and remarked, "You care about your subordinates, Konoe. You wouldn't go through such lengths and endure hostility from your peers if that weren't the case. Tell me...do you think of me as cruel for personally requesting that Tsuzuki and Kurosaki be assigned on this case?"

Konoe looked straight ahead, pretending as if he was staring at a pair of intent eyes. His voice was calm, and his response radiated the authenticity in his heart. "I can't help but feel sorry for Tsuzuki. Kyoto holds too many bitter memories for him, especially the most recent one. Aside from this, his retrieval reminds him a lot of his own life when he was still alive."

"There's a reason why I have made Tsuzuki into a shinigami. There's a reason why I agreed for Tsuzuki and Kurosaki to become partners. In the same token, there's also a reason why I asked you to have them personally retrieve Tsuuri Troy and handle this case in such a manner. All of these decisions have been made to push my agenda forward, in spite of the unanimous disapproval of your peers. As much as you're informed in a need-to-know basis, I expect your division to carry out my plans."

The elderly chief replied in quiet but absolute certainty, "The Shokan Division won't fail you, my lord. We will do our best, as always."

EnmaDaiOh then asked...more for his assurance, rather than to satiate his curiosity, "You know what to do, once these two cases are resolved?"

Konoe affirmatively nodded as his response. Once he was dismissed, he bowed before the raised dais and left EnmaDaiOh's chambers.

The huge metal door closed behind Konoe - leaving the Lord of Hades alone in his throne room as he pondered, "That girl was an unfortunate casualty for much greater matters to come. The crucial times are fast approaching, and the cornerstone to my plans...my beautiful and dangerous Tsuzuki...is almost ready to be unleashed. I won't allow eons' worth of careful and deliberate planning be destroyed due to any meddling human or rank-aspiring demon...and I'll eliminate anyone who dares to interfere with my plans."

**End of Chapter Eleven**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

* * *

**_Review Responses_**

**_To everyone: _**_Thanks for your reviews! Many thanks to ManderNaner and RuByMoOn17 for responding to my emails...your objective feedbacks are really helpful ;-D I also thank Mischa Kitsune, Angel of the Eclipse, and Proxima Centauri for keeping me up on my toes with their insightful reviews. You guys are great! You inspire me strive harder to make my stories better._

_I made those recommended changes (just as I do with the rest of my fics), especially the clichéd phrases and that weird language that Troy used in Chapter 10. Let me know if the changes make sense...or not._

**_Angel of the Eclipse: _**_This is the chapter disclosing what's causing Hisoka faint often. Hisoka's anything but wimpy, as you and I both agree ;-D_

_As to Troy's parents, they are already dead. Troy's father and the demon committing the serial murders for Muraki are of the same kind...and Troy is slowly turning into the same type of creature._

_Just as shinigamis do, demons have ways of crossing from one realm to another...so in my mind, Troy can leave Meifu to return to the real world. However, Troy cannot return to Meifu unless a shinigami accompanies him. As to why he didn't wreak hell in Meifu, he's acting on his instincts alone. His slow descent to insanity drives him to escape and find a safe place to be...the church. I also like his affinity with the church in spite of his demonic change for many reasons. My minor reason is to break the myth that demons couldn't step on holy ground, and the rest will reveal themselves as the story progresses._

_(LOL after reading review that Troy has Spanish-speaking demons in his head)_

_Although that part's more finely tuned now, I'm still not satisfied...it hasn't completely captured what's in my "mind's ear," if you know what I mean._

_Oh, and the DNA-specific poisons...it IS a very interesting topic. This type of development (success not guaranteed) takes time and money. For the purposes of this fic, Muraki is well skilled in this realm of science, is prepared for contingencies (such as wiping out obstacles like Kawasawa), and has help from occult sources to make matters possible._

**_Proxima Centauri: _**_Hi, Luna-chan ;-D I always love your reviews! Thanks for pointing out the clichés in chapter. They have been fixed._

_Oh, and as to a body getting cold after ten minutes...I based it on my surreal experience of touching my grandfather a short time after he died. Another basis was my close friend's death from stabbing. Apparently, the body gets colder once circulation is cut off...more so for victims who die violently like my friend and Aiko because they try to "fight" while breathing their last breaths. There might be another way to describe such a state of coldness, and I'm trying to find out what word to best use. I'm learning something new everyday, which is good ;-D_

_Oh, and about the "speaking in another language" thing...I'd be scared, if I started speaking in a different tongue all of a sudden. The same goes with having a ton of expert knowledge where I have no clue as to where it came from. They're just some of the "weird improbables" that I find scary and fascinating...and they can only happen if something supernatural or unexplainable is involved._


	13. Tailing Trails

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Twelve – Tailing Trails**

* * *

"I couldn't believe the sheer arrogance of that jerk! His toupee must've cut off the circulation to his brain!" 

Tatsumi, who strolled side by side with a still-fuming Chief Konoe, kept mum as his superior ranted about the Peace Preservation Chief's antics during the multi-divisional meeting that they just attended. As the two men were closer to the infirmary, he asked, "What did EnmaDaiOh-sama have to say about his antics?"

Digging his hands deeper inside his coat pockets, Konoe closed his eyes and replied, "The lord was very upset, but the Chiefs from Peace Preservation and Advocates were simply let go with a stern warning."

"And nothing more..." mumbled the quietly seething secretary. As his eyes narrowed, he gripped his briefcase more tightly with his left hand.

Although his second-in-command's voice sounded calm, Konoe sensed that Tatsumi became more enraged as their walk transpired. Before he could make another comment, or ask his subordinate a question, they finally reached the infirmary to check up on Tsuzuki and Hisoka.

Once they found Hisoka resting in bed, Konoe patted Tatsumi on the shoulder, bade farewell, and returned to his office.

Tatsumi stood in silence, as he scanned the infirmary. Spotting his trench coat neatly folded by the foot of Hisoka's bed, he just confirmed his hunch that Tsuzuki would be gone once he returned from the meeting.

As he marched out of the room and almost collided into an equally preoccupied Watari by the doorway, he stopped. After muttering an apology, he then asked, "How's Kurosaki-kun doing, and have you found anything to help Tsuuri-kun?"

The blonde scientist's forehead crinkled as he responded, "Bon's still out, but his vitals are showing that his recovery's quicker than usual. I also found an antidote that can temporarily stall Troy's blood from coagulating his blood and poisoning his system."

A gentle and hopeful smile escaped Tatsumi's lips while he pushed his glasses back. "That's good news…Tsuzuki-san would be happy to know that." After pausing for a few minutes, he asked, "By the way, where is he?"

"He's looking for Troy. He's determined to bring him back to Meifu by the end of the day."

Knowing that his former partner would do almost everything to find and save Troy, Tatsumi said, "While Tsuzuki's searching for Tsuuri-kun, I'm going out."

Watari's right eyebrow arched up, as he gave Tatsumi a probing gaze. "Where are you going?"

The secretary stared back into honey-colored eyes as his response.

After letting out a subtle gasp and understanding that Tatsumi was going to search for Muraki or the demon, Watari said, "I'm going with you."

"You need to stay here. Who'd watch over Kurosaki-kun, and who'd help Tsuzuki-san in case he returns with Tsuuri-kun?"

As Watari's eyes narrowed while 003 fluttered over his shoulder, he asked Tatsumi with a wry half-smile, "If I tell you that I have uncovered a solid thread of leads that may help us find out what Muraki's motives are, would you change your mind?"

Without flinching and crossing his arms in front of his chest, Tatsumi's deadpanned, "You're going to give me the details of that lead, or I'll see to it that you'd see a noticeable slash on your salary for this week."

The blonde scientist's smirk, as subtle as it still was, turned more devious. "Kyoto's my area, Tatsumi-san. If you wish to use my lead, you have no choice but for us to work together as partners. Aside from that, it wouldn't make a difference to me whether you cut my salary...so you can't scare me."

After silence filled the room, the two men stared into each other's eyes for many minutes and neither one not willing to bend.

Tatsumi removed his glasses for cleaning while saying with resigned frustration, "Fine...as long as someone would watch over Kurosaki-kun while we're gone, and could help Tsuzuki-san administer the antidote to Tsuuri-kun."

"Gushoshin Elder and Younger will cover for me while I'm away. They'd know what to do for Troy, and they're busy researching the nature of that black-scaled demon in the meantime." Pausing for a moment and gaping at the person before him, Watari's smile softened as he said, "Tatsumi-san...."

Looking up to Watari and wearing his glasses once more, the secretary gave the other a probing gaze as he uncomfortably mused, "Why is he giving me such a stare?"

With his cheerful grin and the customary shimmer in his honey-colored eyes, the scientist remarked while studying Tatsumi's face, "It's the first time that I've noticed...you look cute without your glasses."

Tatsumi's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed from Watari's comment. As his face further reddened after the blonde scientist gave him a teasingly seductive wink, his shadows danced and enveloped them...teleporting the two men to their destination.

* * *

It was already five in the afternoon. 

Saint Andrew's Academy's graduating class and the teachers have been busy since the beginning of the school day. The students organized into groups to prepare the auditorium for commencement day, which were two-and-a-half days from now. As everyone worked together, each had stories to share ranging from last night's school dance all the way to career plans after graduation from college.

Tsuzuki, in his invisible form, observed the activities for the past hours in hopes that Troy would show up. Scouring through the school and seeing the enthusiasm from the students and faculty at work inside the auditorium, he mused with a bittersweet smile, "Hisoka, Troy, and Aiko should have been here to see this...."

His thoughts froze his mind for a couple of seconds as he remembered that Troy's retrieval must be completed two-and-a-half days from now as well....

Minutes later, he saw a middle-aged couple walk inside the auditorium, scan through the sea of activity, spot the purpose of their visit, and approach Principal Yamada. Although busy giving instructions to the sound and electrical technicians nearby the stage, Yamada glanced sideways and acknowledge the couple's presence with a genial grin. The students, although they noticed the new arrivals, continued with their tasks.

Although Tsuzuki could not hear the conversation between the principal and the couple, he could tell that the arrivals bore terrible news as he saw Yamada's face turn burdened and grim. His assumption that the dignified-looking couple was Aiko's mother and father was proven correct once Missus Ikuru sobbed and hugged her husband in front of the saddened principal.

Tsuzuki closed his eyes and breathed deeply, as Principal Yamada announced Aiko's violent death to the graduating student body. He barely held on to his last reserves of emotional and spiritual strength when he heard the gasps from the students and faculty. His emotions quivered, knowing how crushed Aiko's parents must be because of their daughter's premature death.

Some of the fellow students who were friends with Aiko shed tears...some of them hugged each other, as they could not believe that Aiko – who they saw yesterday at the dance – was now dead....

Some students, such as Tia – the girl who despised Aiko for being able to charm Tsuuri Troy – stood in conflicted silence. She was partially gloating that her rival was dead, but inwardly shuddering as she thought that no one deserved such a young death...even someone who she considered as a bitter enemy.

As rage and sadness surged festered inside Tsuzuki, he felt heat radiating from his body...one of the precursory symptoms whenever his darker power was dangerously close in being unleashed. He clenched his fists and pondered, "No one should lose their loved ones in such a brutal manner...and I'll make sure that the demon won't make an additional parent grieve over a child."

Drawing out Fuda paper from his trench coat breast pocket, he cast a combination of a warning and protection spell that blanketed those present in the auditorium. Once he knew that the silent incantation that he performed would warn him of any demonic danger against any student or faculty member, he dematerialized to resume his search for Troy.

* * *

As Tatsumi and Watari resumed their corporeal appearance, the two scanned their sanitary and cold-looking surroundings. 

"A laboratory," mused Tatsumi, as his giddy companion marched towards the long and wide counter with beakers, flasks, blank specimen slides, tweezers, chemicals, Petri dishes, two microscopes, and other scientific equipment.

"Unbelievable...the guy had everything here! You should really consider approving that grant I've requested," whispered an excited Watari after he looked through the microscope and browsed through the adjacent items.

Tatsumi, who was outwardly composed but inwardly confused, asked while he leaned against the counter, "What are we doing here?"

By this time, the blonde scientist glanced behind him and saw a knee-high metal cooler within plain view. Noticing that a key was required to open it, he said while pointing at the counter, "There's a drawer behind you. See if you could find a key, and then help me look for clues."

Following Watari's request and securing a keychain filled with keys, a slightly irritated Tatsumi approached the scientist and handed him the set of keys. "You haven't answered my question. Where are we and what are we doing here?"

"We're in Doctor Kawasawa's laboratory at Kyoto Memorial Hospital," said a preoccupied Watari, as he just inserted the fourth key in the hole and managed to unlock the metal cooler.

Tatsumi, on the other hand, pored through the paperwork on top of the counter and then checked out the contents of the counter's file drawers while asking, "And we're here because?"

"Doctor Kawasawa was Tsuuri Troy's physician for many years. He also dabbled in clone research as a student, and then continued that work when he became a doctor."

The secretary shook his head in mild surprise before he resumed his search. "Was? Kawasawa's already dead?"

Without looking back, Watari responded as he combed through the first rectangular plastic container filled with specimens propped in microscope slides, "Yes. He died just a couple of days ago. The cause of his death was inconclusive, but the authorities just ruled out foul play. His reputation was tarnished due to the many grotesque deals that he made as a surgeon. Just last year, rumors leaked that his deceased patients had unauthorized surgeries performed on them before they died. There were accusations that he sold the patients' organs to the black market."

Tatsumi said in quiet disgust, "He must've planned his patients' deaths, so that he could harvest and sell their organs...."

The blonde scientist glanced sideways towards Tatsumi and nodded. "The authorities investigated the allegations against Kawasawa, but they dropped everything months later due to lack of concrete evidence. Although the rumors were unproven, they were more than enough to ruin his reputation."

Opening the last counter drawer and finding nothing noteworthy, the secretary walked towards Kawasawa's tidy desk. "How does Muraki fit in all of this, aside from the fact that he most probably caused Kawasawa's death?"

Watari now moved to the adjacent cold cabinet that was filled with vials. As he held each vial by the moonlight that seeped through the open window, his mumbled reply was, "He and Muraki were classmates at Shion University under Satomi. He also helped Satomi in his clone experiments until Satomi presented a paper before the medical and scientific communities. After that, the two parted ways."

After pulling out yet another set of vials secured in a rectangular container and reading their labels, Watari raised an eyebrow. The blood samples that he just found belonged to Troy's, and all the vials were labeled with different dates ranging from seven years ago up to the present.

Tatsumi went through the chronological files behind Kawasawa's desk. When he felt that the drawer's weight was unevenly distributed, he knelt down, pulled the drawer to more than its normal capacity, and discovered a secret compartment attached at the end.

Once he figured out how to access its hidden contents, he pulled out more files and browsed through each folder. Once he pinpointed a particular folder within that bundle, his whispered exclaim was, "Watari-san! Take a look at this!"

Watari walked over to where Tatsumi knelt, and looked over the secretary's shoulder while he held a container in his hands. His eyes also went wide as he saw Troy's name on the folder. After scanning through the file contents himself, Watari muttered, "There's non-human DNA information in this file! The bastard knew Troy's secret and sold him out to Muraki!"

Letting out a troubled sigh, Tatsumi remarked, "Tsuuri-kun heals as fast as a shinigami would, as long as he's healthy. I wonder if that's the case when his physiology turns fully demonic. Do you think that Muraki's after him for spiritual energy, just as he did with Maria Wong...or is he after Tsuuri-kun because he's part-demon?"

"I wouldn't be surprised...but if Tsuzuki doesn't find Troy in time, or if we don't uncover Muraki's plan, the kid wouldn't stand a chance," replied Watari, as he pursed his lips in deep thought.

Pointing at the rectangular plastic container that Watari pulled out from the specimen cooler, Tatsumi inquired, "What are those?"

"One-third of these vials contain Troy's blood taken from many years ago up to the present. Some of them belong to Kawasawa, and the rest of the samples are from other individuals. The doctor probably kept these for his purposes; otherwise, the lab downstairs should've processed them once they were taken."

"Do you know where Doctor Kawasawa's body is located?"

"The morgue downstairs might still have him."

Tatsumi had a thoughtful frown on his face and a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Why don't we pay Doctor Kawasawa a short visit?"

The blonde scientist slightly cocked his head as he suspiciously asked, "For what?"

With a wry smile escaping his lips, Tatsumi leaned forward and whispered, "I propose...."

Watari's spectacled eyes narrowed and widened intermittently, as he listened to Tatsumi's plan. Two matters were sure...the proposal was requiring more of his involvement and skills, and he definitely did not like what he was hearing from the Secretary of EnmaCho.

**End of Chapter Twelve**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	14. The Truth Comes From Unexpected Places

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Thirteen – The Truth Comes from Unexpected Places**

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_Italicized sentences are the character's unspoken thoughts, or musings. Italicized words are emphasized words._

_To everyone, thanks for the encouraging constructive reviews. The critiques have been taken and applied, so the previous chapter has been changed and improved from those constructive suggestions. Thanks once again, and I hope that you'd enjoy this next chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it._

**_Warmest Regards, Zatken_**

* * *

It was almost seven in the evening when dusk settled over Kyoto skies.

Tsuzuki materialized at the place where the church once stood. As he stood in silence for minutes at what used to be a solemn sanctuary for helpless souls, he lamented as to how the church was now replaced with a sad memory filled with embers, debris, and leftover foundation. He drew his last straw of hope by coming to the burned-down church, and wishing that Troy would be here as well.

After he scoured almost two-thirds of the area, he heard labored breaths coming from behind the remnants of the wood-and-marble white altar - the place where the huge crucifix used to be suspended. Tsuzuki sprinted and stared at the weakened owner of those breaths, overjoyed as he saw Troy.

Half-covered in darkness, Troy's eyelids fluttered as Tsuzuki covered his almost-naked body with his trench coat. Three-fourths of his body was still covered with black shiny scales, and his fever was worse than before. Focusing his waning energy when his gaze landed on Tsuzuki, he mumbled, "You've been sent to get me?"

Caught off-guard for a second, Tsuzuki blinked and shook his head before saying, "Troy...it's me, Tsuzuki. Do you remember me?"

With his words slurring out of him as they would from a snake, Troy's eyes watered as he asked, "T - Tsuzuki-san?"

Tsuzuki gave the young man a light smile and nod. "Yes...."

A shivering Troy closed his eyes, as if he were comforted from knowing that Tsuzuki kept him company. "Hisoka...."

Tsuzuki's comforting hand brushed some of the dark matted hair away from Troy's face. "Hisoka's okay. He's safe from Muraki, thanks to you."

"It wasn't me...." mumbled Troy, as he was so close to dozing off any minute from now.

Tsuzuki saw how pained and delirious Troy was, but he tried his best not to allow his worry become so evident from his face. "Troy, listen to me.... you can't fall asleep right now. The poison is working its way through your system. Watari developed a stabilizing potion, so I have to take you back to EnmaCho for treatment."

Hot tears flowed down from Troy's cheek. "Temporary, and t - too late.... If you want to help, please kill me...."

"It's not too late until –"

As Troy glanced to his right and stared at Tsuzuki, the moonlight illuminated the left-hand side of his face. He did not hear Tsuzuki's subtle gasp, as the shinigami saw that half of Troy's face had already been covered with obsidian scales. As his eyes remained shut, Troy saw replaying visions of the demon's past killings. Pain jolted through his body and made him grimace in agony, as he reeled back from witnessing his sister's grisly murder and hearing the multitude of unearthly voices inside his head.

Troy murmured, as his chest heaved for air, "They say the only way out is to unbind powers. R – Rather die human...better this way."

Once the split-second shock wore off from Tsuzuki's system, empathy overcame him as he told the young man, "The demon committing the murders is still out there, and you're the closest one in telling us how to defeat it." He then rested his hand on Troy's arm, and pleaded, "The killing needs to stop."

As he pulled the remaining ounces of strength left in his body, an anguish-ridden Troy stared at the shinigami with his charcoal gray eye and his glowing red one brimming with tears. "Once I die, this will all end. Can't live this way...."

Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes glistened with held-back tears, as sad authenticity seeped through his voice. "I don't want another person to die, and I don't want you to die...not like this."

"Can't stop this...not even you..." murmured Troy, as another spike of pain coursed through his body and made his lungs heave for more air.

With a consoling smile gracing his face and seeping through his voice, Tsuzuki told his retrieval, "If that's the case, I don't want you to die alone. You have us, and we're your friends." As he noticed that Troy slumped his head and closed his eyes, Tsuzuki shook the young man numerous times but failed to wake him.

After Tsuzuki further secured his trench coat to completely cover Troy's nakedness, he lifted the unconscious young man and stared at him for a few minutes.

_"If you want to help, please kill me...."_

The shinigami closed his eyes, as Troy's words rang inside his head. Warm tears traveled down his cheeks while he sympathetically gazed at Troy's half-human and half-demonic face. He mused before disappearing to teleport back to the Shokan Division, _"Hang in there, Troy. We'll do everything that I can to save you...even if it means only a few days' worth of freedom from your suffering." _

* * *

As soon as Tsuzuki returned to EnmaCho, he and the Gushoshin twins worked together in bringing down Troy's fever. After cleaning up their patient and immersing him in an ice bath, the shinigami administered the stabilizing potion Watari formulated from the jars hidden in Troy's home. 

During the crucial hour after he brought Troy in, Tsuzuki spent time with Hisoka. Sitting close to his partner and holding his limp hand, the elder shinigami murmured, "I miss you, Hisoka.... As hard as it is for me to exist, I'm hanging in there for you...and I wouldn't have it any other way. So please get well very soon, and come back to us. In the meantime, I have some unfinished business to do...."

Once it was confirmed that Troy's condition stabilized, Tsuzuki left before the second hour. He told the Gushoshin Twins that he would return as soon as he could.

Another hour and a half had passed until Tsuzuki returned, marching towards Hisoka's room and almost bumping into Tatsumi and Watari. Blinking a couple of times, he asked, "Where have you two been?"

"We should be asking you the same question," said Watari, as he gave Tsuzuki a probing glance.

In an even tone, Tsuzuki told his peers, "I did some errands, while the Twins were tending to Hisoka and Troy. Troy's fever went down starting the hour before I left EnmaCho."

_"Where did he go? He wouldn't leave at a time such as this, if it wasn't important..."_ pondered Tatsumi, as he noticed that Tsuzuki would not look directly into anyone's eyes.

The blonde scientist said with pent-up irritation hidden in his voice, as he was once again reminded about what happened just hours ago, "We were out digging for clues. If you'd excuse me, I'm taking a shower."

Tatsumi pushed the glasses closer to his face, as a wry and knowing half-grin escaped from his lips. "It's not as bad as you think it is, Watari--san. You've delved in more devious matters before, so what makes our little experiment different from what you're normally willing to do?"

Watari deadpanned with a slight frown, "Medicine and computers definitely suit my fancy, but playing coroner isn't on my list...and I do not call what we just did _little _or an _experiment_."

The secretary's eyebrow rose, and hinted, "You harvested what you needed, didn't you? I've seen that twinkle in your eye while you were doing it, so don't pretend that you didn't satisfy your sense of adventure while we took that risk."

" I dare not know, or touch anything or anyone, until I have a good shower or bath," was the scientist's curt reply through narrowed eyes, as he turned around and marched towards his laboratory.

_"That's what you get for blackmailing me,_" mused a smirking Tatsumi, as he recalled how he got even with Watari by manipulating the scientist in performing the unthinkable.

Tsuzuki pointed his thumb behind him with a crinkled forehead. "What was that all about?"

Tatsumi cleared his throat and held back a chuckle of amusement behind a weak smile. "It's quite a long story, but Watari-san dug up a good lead. We followed the information that we had, and the clues implicated a Doctor Kawasawa with Muraki."

Minutes after Tatsumi told him what he and Watari found - and brought back - from Kawasawa's laboratory and the morgue, Tsuzuki's eyebrow rose as he completely understood why Tatsumi was so amused and Watari was bent out of shape. "You had Watari do what?"

"I had him perform his own autopsy of Kawasawa's remains. I used the shadows to seal us to another dimension, so that we're free to conduct our investigation," said the secretary, as he studied Tsuzuki's reactions.

Halfway through Tatsumi's story, he motioned Tsuzuki to walk with him towards the infirmary to visit Hisoka. Although Tsuzuki was quiet throughout the entire time, Tatsumi knew from the shinigami's eyes that he was downright angry over Kawasawa's betrayal.

Once the two men stepped inside the infirmary, a weak voice greeted them, "You got him back...."

Letting out a burdened sigh, and filling his being with a new sense of relief, Tsuzuki eyes lit up from hearing that familiar voice. He hurried his pace and asked Hisoka, as he sat by the foot of the bed, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine..." said Hisoka as he edged back and leaned against the bed's metal, doing his best to ignore and hide from everyone how awful he still felt.

Tatsumi stood a foot away from the bed with a comforted smile on his face. "I'll leave you two alone, since I need to bring these specimens over to Watari-san." Before he left the infirmary, he glanced at Hisoka and told the young shinigami as his smile broadened, "Welcome back, Kurosaki-kun. I'm glad that you're finally awake."

Hisoka gave the secretary a reverent bow from where he was seated. "Thank you, Tatsumi-san...."

Minutes after Tatsumi left, Hisoka asked his partner, "What happened out there?"

Tsuzuki sighed deeply. "Muraki killed Aiko, and he almost killed you as well. Troy turned into a demon." Pausing for a minute while gripping the white sheets by the foot of Hisoka's bed, he murmured, "I'm sorry...."

The young shinigami blinked, but nonetheless kept an even tone as his gaze fell on his partner. "Why are you sorry? What are you apologizing for?"

As hard as Tsuzuki tried to meet Hisoka's eyes, he could not muster the courage to do so. "I took a chance by talking Troy out of hurting or killing you, instead of ending his life right away to save yours."

With his voice reflecting more of silent curiosity rather than the pointless blame that Tsuzuki expected, Hisoka remarked, "Whatever your plan was, it worked. Why, however, do you go out of your way when we need to retrieve him a couple of days from now?"

Once again, Tsuzuki let out another burdened sigh. "I don't want him to die that way...."

"How do you want Troy to die? The next time that you see him, just take a good look at him. I know that he doesn't want to be a demon, and he's suffering for every minute that he's alive."

This time, Tsuzuki lifted his head and managed to look into Hisoka's eyes...his quiet but intent reply being, "If Troy didn't listen, I wouldn't hesitate in killing him the second before he tried to kill you. I'll be willing to do the same to him, or to anyone, who ever tries to hurt you."

Hisoka's eyes went wide, as he read that Tsuzuki just referred to darker powers that were at his immediate disposal...powers that his partner would rather not use, and would rather disassociate himself from. He feared the look in Tsuzuki's eyes, for they mirrored the emotions and stability of a man whose heart, mind, and soul were about to shatter.

Many silent minutes passed between them, some of those were spent gazing into each other's eyes, surmising the other's innermost thoughts, and wondering as to what would happen next.

Memories of Kyoto...memories that Hisoka wanted to banish, save for the poignant moments between them before Tatsumi enveloped them with his shadows...began to haunt him once more. _"I almost lost Tsuzuki then, and I'm not going to lose him again...not if I can help it...."_ he mused, as he closed his eyes from feeling disoriented and dizzy moments after he woke up.

Tsuzuki broke his partner's train of thought, as he touched Hisoka's foot. "Are you okay, Hisoka?"

After taking a couple of inconspicuously shallow breaths to ease his constricted chest, the empath stared at his partner. " I'm fine."

As Tsuzuki gave Hisoka an unsettled look, Hisoka proposed in a weak but matter-of-factly voice, "Why don't we check up on Troy? Fill me in what happened, while we're on our way to him room."

* * *

The first thirty minutes that Chief Konoe spent with a semi-lucid Troy was mostly marked with polite pleasantries and intermittent silence. 

By the time that Tatsumi joined them, the secretary heard the Chief ask their patient, "If you know that it would save you, why wouldn't you take that chance? Why didn't you?"

"Activate the sixth code?" hinted Troy, as he calculatedly shifted on his bed to a more comfortable position. "If I unlock the sixth code of the hexagram, it'll be all over. Ill be reclaiming the power that I asked Jii-chan to bind years ago, and I'm giving up my humanity."

Tatsumi, who sat on the bed opposite Troy, interjected as Tsuzuki and Hisoka came inside the room and joined him, "If it's the only way to save you – "

Troy let out a sad and deep breath after minutes of pondering. "My salvation means that I'll turn into a murdering demon. What if I want to die as a human being, rather than live as a demon? Are you all willing to risk the lives of others just to save me? I'm not..."

Tsuzuki could not look at Troy, now that he found out hours ago that he sealed Troy's fate days ago when he used the Fuda spell against the young man. Tatsumi felt pangs of guilt knowing that he almost killed Troy at the church, and that he was ready to do the same if the circumstances necessitated the deed. Hisoka, who was still disoriented but nonetheless aware of what Troy was feeling, kept a tight lip as all of them fell silent.

Closing his eyes and picturing the wooden cross that he used to stare at for hours inside his mind's eye, Troy said, "Aren't demons fallen angels…God's creations who have rebelled and turned their backs from Him? If whatever that demon told me last night was true, re-embracing those powers would be turning my back from Him again."

Konoe drummed his fingers on his thighs, as he sat on the chair. As he felt that no one was willing to answer Troy's question for whatever reason he might have, he gently and empathetically asked Troy while looking straight into the young man's charcoal gray and red eyes, "What makes you think that you've turned your back from God in the first place? Haven't you thought about the notion that maybe God has given you those powers to use for good?"

Glancing away from everyone, Troy's quiet but choked-up reply was, "It doesn't change what I really am, Konoe-san...."

Chief Konoe intently explained to the patient, "Having powers such as yours doesn't make you a demon, even if it means that your body started turning into that very demon who committed all those crimes. I told a young friend many times throughout the decades that God made us unique...not unredeemable. The very power that you treat as a curse may be a blessing for someone else, if you find a way to use those gifts to help others. Demons and human beings, as flawed and strayed as they have been since time began, would always be God's creations."

Hisoka leaned against the wall for support and read his partner's mixed emotions over what they just heard. He mused, as he looked sideways towards Tsuzuki, _"He's familiar with these words. The Chief told him the same words a long time ago...and how he wished that those words were true...."_

Tsuzuki rested his elbows on his thighs, as he leaned forward, and told Troy, "We found stuff belonging to your grandfather and mother...their journals. You'll learn more about your past from their journals, if that's what bothers you."

Troy did not respond. He continued looking away from everyone else.

Tatsumi cleared his throat, and said as he let out a subtle sigh, "Think it over, Tsuuri-kun. If it weren't for those powers, we wouldn't know what Muraki could've done to Kurosaki-kun."

A stunned Troy was silent for many minutes before he stared into Tatsumi's eyes and told him, "I - I don't know what you're talking about, Tatsumi-san...."

The secretary cocked his head and gave the patient a probing gaze. "At the church...you've melted the dagger in Muraki's hand seconds before he stabbed Kurosaki-kun.

A prominent frown embedded on Troy's forehead, as his left red eye glinted. "I was barely in control to spare myself, let alone be able to save someone else." Tears built up at the corners of his eyes, as he murmured with a bowed head, "I wasn't even able to save Aiko...."

Leaning forward, Chief Konoe asked, "If it wasn't you, who melted that knife in Muraki's hand?"

Troy lifted his face and moved his glance from Tatsumi, to Tsuzuki, and then to Hisoka. Once his focus was transfixed at the youngest shinigami, Troy then said - much to everyone's surprise, and most especially to Hisoka's shock, "I didn't melt the dagger. It was _Hisoka _who did it, not me...."

**End of Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._


	15. Salvation

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Fourteen – Salvation**

* * *

Muraki Kazutaka stood beside the circular wooden table, bent down, stared into the smoky quartz, and studied its fine details. He noticed that the onyx-like stone had taken over three-fourths of the ever-transforming crystal...the change occurring immediately after he returned from killing Ikuru Aiko and triggering Tsuuri Troy's transformation. 

Knowing what the unusual but prominent change in the crystal signified for him, the doctor pulled up the long ivory-white sleeves of his silk shirt and revealed his gauze-wrapped arms. Afterwards, he tightly clenched his fists and slowly flexed his arms...one of the tests that he had been conducting on himself since he escaped Touda's flames.

He did not coil or reel from any pain....

His last encounter with Tsuzuki at the wooden bridge caused him near-unbearable pain, but he found their confrontation pleasurable. After all, bearing such torture enabled him to touch the shinigami's tousled silky dark hair, ghost his hands over such soft skin, push his burn-ridden body against a warm one that he had lusted for so long, and gaze more closely into enigmatic amethyst eyes. He would have been more than willing to endure such self-inflicted torture again, if it meant being dangerously close to the one man that he yearned for all these years.

To the doctor, that moment with Tsuzuki was Heaven and Hell wrapped in one package. He would not replace that experience, even if it meant that his suffering would disappear.

He flexed his arms a couple more times, this time putting more pressure in his efforts.  His arms did not hurt as much as it did before, and his body was no longer easily susceptible to infections. Once he unraveled the gauze, he noted that his tightened skin was slowly but surely healing to its unflawed and supple state. Gone were the excruciating pain and the involuntary tears that accompanied any minute bodily movements. He had undergone the same experience with his legs and torso...and at the rate that his mission was successful, he would achieve the rejuvenation of his arms.

"It's just a matter of time, Tsuzuki-san. You can't get rid of me that easily," murmured Muraki with a twisted grin escaping his lips. His blue-and-silver eyes glinted in quiet but maniacal elation since three-fourths of his healing had completed...and he owed it all to the dark ones.

Before Touda's flames managed to snuff out his life, Muraki tapped into darker powers and made an urgent plea.

In response to his petition, a primordial demon appeared and made an immediate pact with him. If it were not for the supernatural intervention, he would have perished. Instead, he endured many months as a living, pain-ridden, and horribly disfigured man from the neck down. To claim his full reward, he or his summoned servant must kill the required number of people, and Troy must unlock all six anagrams to complete his transformation.

The demon did fulfill its vow to Muraki as time progressed. Each person that the doctor's obsidian-scaled emissary killed meant a partial restoration of Muraki's body and much, much more. Once his mission and regeneration finished, the demon promised him unlimited access to more potent and darker powers.

He was only a couple of steps away from gaining his reward...and pushing for the chain of events that the worlds below and above had both expected and feared for eons.

Using the quartz to channel his energies, Muraki summoned another obsidian-scaled demon. As it stood before him, he told it with an evil glint in his eye, "The moon requires a final offering tonight, my pet. It doesn't matter whether your prey can potentially have _special _abilities. Go and carry out your task, so that matters would be set right. Once we succeed, all those souls could finally be dispatched to their rightful owners."

* * *

Watari Yutaka just walked in the infirmary and caught the end of the conversation between his peers and his patient. Walking by his patient's bedside and placing his container of equipment on the table, he blinked his eyes a couple of times as he asked, "I beg your pardon, Troy...what did you just say?" 

Troy, who now had his knees drawn up before him and began to sweat more profusely, closed his eyes and stammered, "I – It was Hisoka who saved the two of us from Doctor Muraki, not the other way around."

Giving his partner a sideward glance, Tsuzuki asked with a raised eyebrow, "Do you know anything about this?"

Seeing that Hisoka shook his head as his response, Tatsumi looked at Troy. "How could Kurosaki-kun save you both, if he was unconscious?"

Although still inwardly surprised, Chief Konoe gave Hisoka a pleased smile. "Your training's paying off, Kurosaki-kun. You're developing additional telepathic and kinetic abilities. It won't be long until you could control and use them at will."

"Kurosaki-kun was the one who created that spirit shield. It all makes sense now," Tatsumi mused, as he stared at Hisoka while trying to replay the events in his mind's eye.

Hisoka's eyes narrowed, as he inquired to Troy, "How sure are you that it was me?"

Still shutting his eyes and his chest constricting for breath, Troy's slurred response was, "I heard and felt you, Hisoka. Even on that day at the fields with Aiko, I never managed to do something like that...let alone control it...."

Tsuzuki approached his partner and patted him on the shoulder. "You've channeled my powers before when we ran into trouble against Muraki. You must've taken over Troy's body and unbound his powers without knowing it...merging his powers with yours. That's the only way for you to have melted that knife."

Hisoka's frown deepened while gazing into Tsuzuki's eyes. "I can't retrace my steps that night, even if I try."

"You'll figure it out later on. What's important is that you've both okay. You're awake, and Troy's being treated," said Tsuzuki with a relieved and generous smile to Hisoka.

During their conversation, Watari took Troy's temperature and noted that his fever went back up again. He also silently asked for Troy's permission to draw more blood from him. After filling out a vial with blood, the scientist allowed some blood from the drawing tube to mingle with the fluid inside the Petri dish and witnessed how it coagulated upon contact with the clear liquid.

This test, along with seeing that his patient had visible signs of losing his lucidity, made Watari's face go pale.

Outwardly collected but inwardly saddened, Watari told his patient after handing him a handkerchief, "Your body began developing a tolerance against the stabilizing potion."

The blonde scientist's peers, as well as Chief Konoe, looked at each other and fell silent.

"How much time do I have, Watari-san?" asked Troy without reacting.

A tightlipped Watari responded, "Hours, a day the most."

Troy moved his eyes from one person to another, trying to see how each one reacted to the news. He then muttered with a sarcastic chuckle while shaking his head in knowing dismay, "So it's either I turn into a demon, or I go insane. It doesn't leave me with much choice, now does it?"

Tsuzuki stayed silent as he sat on the bed beside Troy without saying a word. He could not help but see his younger self in Troy, especially during the first years that he was confined in the hospital...missing the touch and company of loved ones, wallowing in guilt for existing and causing many deaths, and slipping between reality and a world created by his inner demons.

"Troy's just the same now. He has no one but us, and it's not fair," thought Tsuzuki, as the last eight years of his life came back to haunt him. When he felt that the time was right, the shinigami laid a hand on Troy's arm...in his mind's eye seeing his present self reach out to his younger counterpart.

Feeling the warm and soft hand on his scaly skin, a wide-eyed Troy flinched in shame. Not understanding Tsuzuki's motives, he looked into the shinigami's eyes in search of a reason. Once he saw the gentle and empathetic authenticity behind those amethyst eyes, the young man relented and bowed his head...staring at his obsidian-scaled skin while fathoming how surreal these past days had been for him.

Eventually, Tsuzuki broke his silence by whispering, "You didn't do anything wrong."

Troy let out a sigh full of depth and lament, as his eyes glistened from held-back tears. "I don't know who I am anymore, or what God has intended for me. I'm trying to understand why He made me like this. There must be a reason why...."

Watari had a faint but empathetic smile leave his lips and reflect in his honey-colored eyes. "Too many random variables throw off people from their planned course. What if there's no reason for being who you are, but it just plain is. Wouldn't it be up to you to choose what matters in life you'd like to accept...and how you'd like your story to end, or continue?"

"Trust Watari-san to say the right things so succinctly," Tatsumi pondered with his arms crossed over his chest, as he noticed that not only Troy but also Tsuzuki reacted to the blonde scientist's words.

However, the silence was replaced by surprised gasps when a ball of misty white light materialized in the middle of the room - eliciting the strongest response from Tsuzuki, the one who conjured up the Fuda spell at Saint Andrew Academy's auditorium.

"Someone from the school's in danger! The demon's on the hunt right now!" exclaimed Tsuzuki with narrowed eyes and clenched fists.

"I'm going with you," said Hisoka without any hesitation. As he saw his partner's focused and probing gaze on him, he reiterated curtly, "I'm just fine, Tsuzuki...we need to go...."

Although Tsuzuki nodded and chose to keep his mouth shut, his worry over Hisoka still swam inside his heart.

Chief Konoe interjected, "Watari, Tatsumi...assist Tsuzuki and Kurosaki. Gushoshin will take over watching Troy."

After Watari and Tatsumi gave the chief an affirmative nod, the two of them disappeared along with Tsuzuki and Hisoka...leaving Konoe behind with Troy.

* * *

Running out of breath and having her screams go unheard, a bloodied Misawa Tia ran through the wide fields covered in tall blades of grass and surrounded by trees. She stumbled along the way, but fought to stand up and continue running. She did not dare waste a second to look behind her, although her vision was already blurred and her heart pounded. 

All she had in mind was to run home. She hoped and prayed that this very moment was all a bad dream.

Unfortunately, it was all true....

The demon's eyes glinted as it was closing in on its latest victim, its labored breathing audibly turning into enraged grunts.

Much more unfortunate was her fateful trip when a protruding tree root caught her right foot. She hit her head hard against one of the thick tree roots, received another deep cut on her forehead, and slipped into unconsciousness.

The demon approached the young woman. Its red eyes glowed, as it let out a loud roar that echoed throughout the vast field. Using its left hand, it clutched Tia's blouse and lifted her closer to him. Once it raised its right arm above its head, two sets of metallic nails grew longer and gleamed against the blood-red moonlight.

Before the towering beast could slash Tia's throat, it screamed when its entire back burst into flames along with the surrounding dry grass. The sheer agony made the demon fling the unconscious young woman a few feet away from it.

"Why don't you pick someone in your league?" taunted Tsuzuki with narrowed eyes, as he had another piece of Fuda paper ready against his foe.

Hisoka stood side-by-side with Tsuzuki as the partners watch the demon combust into a floating ball of fire. Watari and Tatsumi ran and combed through the tall grass to search for Tia and take her to safety.

Before Watari and Tatsumi reached the victim, they saw a horizontal burst of mystical flames heading towards them.

Tatsumi summoned his shadows – protecting Watari and him via a shadow vacuum, sending the same aid for Tsuzuki and Hisoka, making the flames wrap around the circular barrier, and allowing it to continue its course.

The magical flames consumed all the grass in a matter of minutes...leaving the field barren and revealing Muraki.

Now released from the shadows' protection, Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi stood in shock over what they saw.

Muraki secured Tia with his left arm, his right hand held a knife, and a river of blood flowed from two deep gashes across Tia's throat.

Before he could scream "no," Tsuzuki's eyes went wide and he fell on his knees. His heart caved in, his soul shivered, and his insides screamed as he saw imaginary blood flowing generously from his shaky hands. Even though his spirit overflowed with such uncertainty, remorse, and fear from acts that he had done in the past, as well as for deeds that were not his fault, his tears would not flow from him. Everything remained sealed inside him, so that the only signs of emotional upheaval were his blank but wide-eyed stare and his trembling body.

"My gift to you, Tsuzuki-san…. With her blood-letting and your friend's transformation, I'll be restored to torment you for the rest of your days," said Muraki, as he relished seeing Tsuzuki's transfixed gaze at his victim. Before everyone, he nonchalantly dropped Tia's body to the ground and tauntingly licked the blood from the knife...making the amethyst-eyed shinigami's body quiver more violently.

A rain of white feathers then materialized from the dark crimson sky, marking the departure of a maniacally laughing Muraki.

Watari and Tatsumi rushed towards the young woman and knelt beside her body.

Once Watari confirmed that it was already too late for Tia, a tightlipped Tatsumi closed his eyes as he suppressed the turbulent mixture of rage, sadness, and worry welling up inside him. He remembered the Kyoto incident, feared how Tsuzuki would handle this tragedy, and reflected on his current helplessness to alleviate anyone's suffering. The secretary was split between craving revenge against Muraki and worrying over Tsuzuki's fragile sanity.

A warm hand gently rested on Tatsumi's back.

Opening his eyes, Tatsumi looked sideways and saw Watari give him a quiet but hopeful gaze. As he stared into honey-colored eyes and was pacified, there was something foreign that he saw and felt. Memories from the past returned to him...it was something that he had not encountered for decades...something that made him simultaneously feel at peace and confused.

Tatsumi closed his eyes and searched for the truth. The last time that he felt this way was when he first met and fell in love with Tsuzuki. Those same sentiments of his rekindled while working with Watari on the Kamakura case...a fact that he kept denying for many months.

Much more outwardly composed but internally confused, Tatsumi did not look into Watari's eyes again until he had full control over his emotions. When he was ready, he looked up, nodded his head, and stood up beside Watari. He left Tia's body behind and ran back with Watari to join Hisoka and Tsuzuki.

By the time that they reached their companions and witnessed the scene unfolding before them, Tatsumi blocked Watari's way with his outstretched left arm. He then glanced at the puzzled scientist, quietly asking the latter to trust him and let their youngest companion handle the rest.

Still not fully recovered, Hisoka flinched and was on his knees when he felt the torrent of emotions coming from his left since they saw Muraki and Tia. His heart froze, as he repeatedly mused, "Not again, Tsuzuki...." Although afraid to confirm his empathic read of his partner's state of mind, he nonetheless clenched his fists and teeth as he glanced sideways.

Gathering up as much strength as he could, Hisoka disappeared and reappeared in front of his traumatized partner. He held Tsuzuki's upper arms with his hands, shaking him and refusing to stop until he received a response.

Hisoka took a deep breath. His skin became clammier, as he struggled to concentrate and focus. Even though Tsuzuki's emotions bombarded him and sapped out his waning strength, he nonetheless fought for dominance. Tsuzuki needed him now more than ever...and if he did not wish to lose him then he must hold it together. He recognized that his partner once again fell into that deep abyss of despair that he hid from everyone though his generous smiles and lackadaisical demeanor.

The thought of losing his partner once more scared him, compelling him to shake Tsuzuki more frantically and refusing to let go.

Finally, Tsuzuki looked up to Hisoka with glazed eyes...his mind and soul still petrified from his inner demons.

Hisoka made eye contact with his partner, held back his tears, and looked into vacant amethyst eyes. "I'm here for you, Tsuzuki. Whatever it is, you're not alone anymore. I'm here...."

A glimmer of hope enveloped Hisoka's being, as he felt quivering hands rest on his hips.

"H – Hisoka?" whispered Tsuzuki in a voice filled with dire hope and utter disbelief. Some of his bottled-up tears now managed to stream down his cheeks and the first signs of coherency showed through his eyes.

"Yes, it's me," responded the young shinigami with a soothing and reassuring voice, as he wiped some of Tsuzuki's tears with his finger.

Although not outwardly showing his emotions, it pained and suffocated Hisoka to hear Tsuzuki say, "We weren't able to save her...to stop Muraki. The Fuda spell should've worked. It should've given us enough time to stop it."

"It's not your fault. You've done everything that you possibly could to protect everyone. We all did...."

As Tsuzuki bowed his head and stifled his sobs, Hisoka wanted to desperately hug his partner...to whisper in his ear and assure him that everything would be all right...to wipe those tears away and cuddle him until the other gained a semblance of inner peace.

"Am I strong enough to pull him out...for him...for both of us?" pondered Hisoka, as the uncertain part of him – the one that shut his emotions from others as a form of self-preservation during his short life – held back his hand when he tried to reach out and touch his partner.

_You must do for Tsuzuki what he has done for you...._

Remembering Tatsumi's words and fighting all his hesitations, Hisoka took the risk and embraced Tsuzuki. Instantaneously, the elder shinigami's emotions rushed through him. Although the near-overload of his powers made him swoon and ache for air, he focused in staying conscious and alert.

Hisoka closed his eyes, comforted by the feeling that Tsuzuki's aching need for comfort and security was filled with such a simple but authentic gesture. Noticing that Tsuzuki was still repressing some of his emotions, he mused, "He's holding back...he doesn't want me to overload."

Much to Tsuzuki's surprise, Hisoka slipped his hands underneath Tsuzuki's arms and embraced him...further tightening that gesture, as he felt Tsuzuki's body tremble.

With his waning strength being replaced with the certainty that he could console Tsuzuki, Hisoka's need for such affection coursed through his body. He hoped that at least some of the things that he wanted to say to Tsuzuki all these years would communicate through that embrace. As the tears that he held back flowed down his cheek and his one hand rubbed his partner's back, he repeatedly thought, "Please exist, Tsuzuki...even if it's just for me. Let me be there for you. Just as you have always been there for me, let me be your strength. When would you begin to believe that? When would you begin to trust and believe that I'll always be there for you?"

Touched with Hisoka's willingness to be open, Tsuzuki's shaky hands lifted and his arms wrapped around his partner. He knew that the embrace they now shared was causing his partner pain, but he just realized that the young man was once again willing to endure this...for him.

It was Hisoka's proof that he trusted...that he cared...that no matter what happens, there would always be a place in his heart for him.

Tsuzuki interlaced his fingers as he had his arms around Hisoka. Now sobbing freely, he closed the distance between their bodies. As he let go of his pent-up emotions and basked in the comfort of hugging someone he loved so much, he allowed the heavy burden on his chest to be washed away by his own tears. He left his fate on the one who held him close, and their deep breaths becoming more in sync with each other.

Hisoka reflected on the cathartic wave of emotions coming from Tsuzuki. Feeling some peace and confidence respectively settle over them, he told himself, "_I'm_ strong, too... You'll always have me, so please believe that you'll never be alone...."

Watari and Tatsumi remained transfixed from where they stood, witnessing the entire scene and glancing at each other with hopeful half-smiles.

Keeping their eyes closed and permitting themselves to drown in that moment, Hisoka and Tsuzuki tightened their embrace...both refusing to let go of the other, Tsuzuki pouring out years' worth of pent-up sorrow and guilt as he cried, and Hisoka shedding tears of relief while lending his strength to the other when he needed it most.

* * *

An hour had already passed since Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Tatsumi, and Watari left EnmaCho. 

Seeing that Troy had a panicked look on his pale and clammy face, Konoe remarked as he stood by the foot of Troy's bed, "Don't worry about them. Since they're together, everything will be fine."

Already displaying the beginning stages of delirium, Troy said, "Before I finally lose it, Konoe-san, I'd like to t – thank you for everything. For people who are meant to kill me and collect my soul, all of you are particularly kind towards me. You're even kinder than most of the people I've met...."

The elderly man met Troy's gaze with quiet surprise.

"I know that you're all shinigami, Konoe-san. I realized that the demon part of me was still suppressed even after I met Tatsumi-san and Tsuzuki-san. I must be close to dying...that's the only reason why I could see you."

A tightlipped Konoe asked, "Even though you know who we really are and what we're supposed to do, you're still not afraid of us?"

As hard as it was for him to do so, the grin on Troy's face became more generous as he shook his head. While wiping the beaded sweat from his forehead with the handkerchief that Watari lent him, he said as he tried to stop shivering, "Promise me one thing, Konoe-san. If I lose it and end up hurting anyone here, please do everything that you can to stop me...even if it means that you need to kill me."

Konoe's hand rested on Troy's shoulders, making the young man feel pacified and uncomfortable at the same time. "We'll deal with matters, as they come along. Gushoshin and I will take turns in checking on how you're doing. Leave the worrying to us, while you get some sleep."

After Troy thanked him and lay down in bed, Konoe left the infirmary and took a series of turns heading towards his office. He stopped by Watari's lab where the Gushoshin Twins worked on researching the anagrams' secrets and trying to uncover any information regarding Muraki's black-scaled emissary. Once he informed the librarians to monitor Troy's condition by the hour, he returned to his office to finish some paperwork.

Left alone inside the infirmary, Troy pondered over Konoe and Watari's words. With his fever rising once more and his chest heaving for breath, his vision began to spin even though he was already lying down. The back of his eyes have been throbbing for the past thirty minutes, and he felt as if someone was boring a hole in his skull with a hand drill. As he tried to close his eyes and sleep, he heard the sound of grunt-like labored breathing becoming more audible for each passing second.

He bolted out of bed drenched in sweat, thinking that the towering demon was inside the room. Immediately after he confirmed that no one was there, he then heard a shrill and ear-splitting noise reverberate inside the room. The sound made his already-piercing headache worsen and made him shut his eyes tightly. Unable to endure any more pain, he combed his fingers through his hair, covered his ears with his forearms, and pressed his fingertips against his scalp.

Once again, the voices returned...hissing their taunts and coaxes inside his head in that unearthly language.

Sweating more profusely and feeling that he was about to lose control, Troy clenched on to the last ounce of lucidness and strength within him as he muttered, "God, I leave my fate up to You. No matter what happens, please guide me. Don't let me stray from You...."

The voices became louder and eventually suggested something that made him abruptly open his eyes. This time, his charcoal gray right eye became blazing red and matched the crimson glow of his left eye. Losing all coherent thought and using the demonic language, he repeated the voices' chanted words.

Blinding light illuminated inside his room and marked the appearance of a hexagram underneath his bed. The mystical symbol's two triangles and the inscriptions enclosed within the concentric circles spun frantically until its rotation stopped.

The inscriptions rearranged as the light from the hexagram slightly dimmed – forming and unlocking the sixth anagram as a delirious Troy continued his chant. He felt as if his blood began to boil, and his flesh and organs were about to tear from the inside. For him, the air became thinner. His bloodcurdling and pain-ridden screams turned into a furious roar and reverberated throughout the infirmary – shattering all the glass and fragile materials surrounding him.

Once the black scales scattered throughout the remaining human parts of his body and Troy fully transformed into the towering demon, the hexagram emitted its brightest and most blinding light.

When the light and the hexagram disappeared, demon Troy vanished as well....

**End of Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia Misawa, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

**_Review Responses_**

**_To Everyone_**_ - Thanks for the constructive reviews. I am so happy and touched that everyone seems to like the story. Chapter Thirteen (the previous chapter) is weird, since it's part of tying up the pieces of the puzzle together but not piecing everything so easily. _

_For example, Hisoka's fainting and illness turns out to be a growth in his powers. There's also other developments, such as the relationship between Tatsumi and Watari (and this portion of the story bridges towards the fic The Shadows of My Past). Then there's the question of where Tsuzuki goes for two hours, why does he not tell everyone where he has been, what Watari uncovers from his autopsy of Doctor Kawasawa's body, what Muraki has in mind now, and other subplots. _

_For the previous chapter, and for the original fic project that I've been working on for years, I did research on telepathy, psychic powers, and kinesis. I had to lay it out there to explain how Hisoka did what he did, and how Troy knew that Hisoka did it (dang, even I got confused with that ;-D However, I am quite satisfied that it makes sense...at least in my head...so please tell me if I can do anything to clear this up without giving everything away in the previous chapter. _

_To borrow Muraki's words in this fic, I'm slowly unraveling the present...._

_Four things stood out in my research, the first being **Catalyst Telepathy** - the ability, conscious or unconscious, to "wake up" or unblock the Gifts in others (in our situation, Hisoka temporarily unlocks Troy's powers to save them). The second is **Thermokinesis,** the ability to control hot and cold (the dagger melting in Muraki's hand when Hisoka slips into Troy's consciousness and uses his powers). This fanfic isn't the first time that Hisoka has done something of the sort...he merges his powers with Tsuzuki in the first book of Yami no Matsuei when Muraki severely injures Tsuzuki. **Clairaudience** is the ability to hear conversations or information not being transmitted vocally (the voices in Troy's head) and **Remote Viewing** - the ability to see through another person's eyes, feel what they feel, hear what they hear although it doesn't need to be projected through another person's eyes._

_Couple the powers above along with a merge of telekenetic and telepathic abilities that an empath such as Hisoka already has and can possibly develop since he's been practicing with Chief Konoe, and you have an interesting and dangerous merge of gifts._

**_Proxima Centauri -_**_ Hi, Luna-chan ;-D _

_Before I start, I just want to say one more time...my Statistics class is killing me. sighs _

_Ah, where was I? Oh, yeah...as to Troy... He's calm by nature and doesn't have a vengeful bone in his body (the main difference between Troy and Emrys from the Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics). Part of his nature has something to do with his fear of who he really is, and what damage he can do if he lets go...the other has something to do with the fact that he's truly a gentle soul although he's very different from other people, and that he has faith in a Higher Power. However, the murder of his loved ones, the demonic transformation, and the slow unleashing of his powers (some of it has something to do with Muraki) are making him act rather insane. _

_Tsuzuki takes Troy back to EnmaCho, so that he can get that stabilizing potion to bring down the fever and stall the transformation. The potion comes from the herbs and concoctions that Tsuzuki and Hisoka find at Troy's home (apparently left behind by Troy's grandfather "just in case" the need arises). The potion coursed through Troy's system for many hours now, so that's why he's described as semi-lucid when Chief Konoe was speaking with him in his room...so he's acting rather normal and is remembering some of the things that had happened at the church - including Aiko's death and Hisoka saving the day. Unfortunately, the potion's effects will wear off since his body already builds an immunity against it._

_Hope that answers your question. Is there a better way of mapping it out to make it less confusing?...I'd like some suggestions from everyone ;-D_


	16. Sealed Fates

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Fifteen - Sealed Fates**

* * *

"S - So sorry for everything...."

As a sweating and delirious Troy repeatedly mumbled his apologies while slipping in and out of consciousness, one of the three blurry figures before him bent down and planted a cool kiss on his cheek. The kiss eventually traveled and touched against his trembling lips, as a warm hand touched his face.

A nearly blind Troy shivered, as he withdrew from that kiss...not just from feeling violated, but also from being ashamed that the kiss and the warm hand rested on his scaly black skin.

The owner of that short kiss whispered in his ear, "Shhh..... You don't have to be alone anymore.... You don't have to suffer anymore...."

A flicker of recognition lit Troy's tear-filled eyes the very second that he recognized the feminine voice.

Before he could react or say anything, he received a second kiss from her. This time, although he did not know what or how he was doing it, he reciprocated the passionate gesture. Recalling the gentle voice that he just heard and feeling her warm lips pressing against his, it was the first kiss that he dreamed of having with her for many years.

As joy replaced his hesitation, the kiss that he shared with her was now more probing, longing, and lingering. He wanted to hug the owner of that voice, but he could not lift his already-weak arms. He muttered in between pained breaths, "Aiko? How? You're dead...."

Aiko's voice echoed, "Yes, it's me, Troy.... We're here for you...."

An elderly man's voice interjected, "You're home now. Everything will be okay...."

With Troy trembling in fear, his tears flowed down more generously. With his resolve breaking down from physical pain and longing for his loved ones, his voice diminished into a mere choking whimper while gritting his teeth. "Jii-chan, please make it stop.... It burns.... It hurts...."

Another jolt of pain lanced through Troy's body as he heard his sister Yuta say, "You don't have to hide who you are anymore. Just let go, rest, and let us take care of you...."

Those three loving voices reverberated and were reduced to a mere murmur in Troy's brain, as he shook his head and mumbled, "No.... You're not who you say you are...."

Just then, someone clutched a handful of Troy's sweaty hair as a masculine voice taunted, "My, my.... So resilient, aren't we? You shouldn't hurt my feelings, especially since I've been such a gracious friend to you. After all, I've readily accepted who and what you really are...unlike some of the cruel people you've encountered since your birth...."

Troy's eyes went wide when he just realized that the blurry and sadistic figure spoke and understood the demonic language. His face went pale knowing who the owner of that taunting voice.

The stranger continued with a tone oozing with malevolent seduction, "Oh yes, my young friend. I know your dialect very well, now that you've just_ granted _me some of your regenerative properties and much more. I've helped myself to what you could offer while you were under my spell."

The young man's eyes narrowed, as he struggled to loosen the chains binding his wrists and ankles. Knowing that he was now at the mercy of his captor, he hissed in the demonic dialect, "You already got what you've wanted from me. Why don't you just get rid of me, and leave everyone else alone?"

A smirk escaped from the captor's lips, as he whispered while placing his index finger on the young man's trembling lips, "You still have a lot to offer. The primordial gods did tell me about your possible latent powers, but I didn't realize that you're like a very deep well. Instead of letting such gifts go to waste, you wouldn't mind if I help myself with another small sampling...would you?"

As soon as he uttered his last word, Muraki Kazutaka once again rested his right hand on Troy's head.

When two hexagrams formed - one underneath where Troy lay and another underneath Muraki's feet - a lancing jolt of energy traveled throughout the young man's body.

"Now it begins," mused Muraki, as the smoky quartz illuminated and assisted the doctor in activating and drawing out Troy's latent powers.

Troy let out a piercing scream. His restraints cut deeper against his skin until blood began to ooze, his nose bled from the torture, and his mind's eye opened up to visions of a bloody and all-out war in otherworldly realms. Feeling the increasing and excruciating drain from his system, he fought against his captor.

The more that Troy struggled to break free, the more that Muraki tightened his grip on his captive's forehead.

Finally, Troy's body gave in. By the time that he fell unconscious, a sizable amount of demonic energy coming from his mind, body, and soul have been leeched out...transferring themselves into the smoky quartz sitting in the middle of a circular table immediately above his head.

Muraki removed his left hand from Troy's forehead. His right hand felt the tingling warmth coming from the smoky quartz, its power activated by siphoning a huge chunk of Troy's powers.

The black gem that grew over time inside the quartz turned into a mass of thick swirling black liquid.

After his eyes scanned the bound young man from head to foot, the evil doctor flexed his arms and pushed up his ivory silk sleeves, feeling elated from the crystal's transformation as well as the attainment of his reward....

His arms and the rest of his body were now restored from his injuries at Shion University...all thanks to the smoky quartz that now housed the souls of his murdered victims and drained some of Troy's spiritual energy and regenerative powers...the same mesmerizing crystal that was given to him by the primordial demon gods.

The crystal gave him another gift...a surge of raw, potent but foreign power coursing through his body and merging with his own magic.

As his eyes glinted while his captive remained bound on the rectangular table, Muraki licked his lips and tasted the remnants of the deceptive kiss that he gave Troy. Referring to the swirling black liquid inside the crystal, he mused, "My contract with the dark ones is now complete. You and those souls now belong to them. It'll only be a matter of time when my emerald-eyed doll and Tsuzuki-san fall into my hands."

* * *

During their locked embrace, Hisoka retreated from the surge of painful and familiar energy invading his body and mind...making him clutch Tsuzuki's back as he shut his eyes and clenched his teeth.

Snapping out from a moment's worth of emotional and mental peace, an exhausted Tsuzuki withdrew from Hisoka. Still kneeling on the ground, he saw how his young partner's face suddenly became pale as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Touching Hisoka's face and looking at him with such concern, Tsuzuki froze when he heard Hisoka mumble, "Muraki.... Muraki has Troy...."

Tatsumi and Watari, hearing what their youngest companion just told them, remained stupefied. As much as they knew that Troy was supposed to be safely confined in EnmaCho's infirmary, they have also proven throughout the years never to doubt Hisoka.

Recovering from the shock, Tatsumi let out a sigh and pushed back his glasses. " Muraki must've done something to draw Tsuuri-kun out of Meifu."

"How could he manage to do that?" said Watari while barely holding his frustration that his patient was once again missing. "Humans don't have influence over Meifu."

The secretary's eyes narrowed, the only sign that such deep anger was boiling within him. "Muraki's no ordinary human, and neither is Troy. There's more to it than just magic or hypnosis, and I'll find out what it is sooner or later."

Gazing at his partner, Tsuzuki then asked, "Are you going to be all right, Hisoka? If so, could you use your powers and tap into the psychic link that you've created with Troy before?"

Hisoka nodded as his reply, as he rose to his feet and took in a deep breath...eventually taking Tsuzuki's hand for assistance after refusing the elder shinigami's help a couple of times.

Tsuzuki pulled out Fuda paper from his trench coat breast pocket, raising his right hand as the paper lay on his left palm while uttering an incantation. As the mystical paper folded by itself and transformed into an ivory-colored pigeon, he then stroked the bird's feathers with a gentle finger and instructed the creature, "Find him for us...."

After Tsuzuki's magical pigeon flew out for its mission, Tatsumi held up his right hand...first pointing his fingers down to the ground and summoning a handful of shadows that swirled around his feet. Once he closed his eyes and gave mental instructions to help search for Troy and Muraki, the shadows dispersed as quickly as they came.

"I'm going back to Meifu while you three search for the kid," remarked Watari while clutching a vial of Troy's blood inside his coat pocket. "I'll find out what happened back there and tweak the stabilizing potion. I'll be back within an hour. If you need me sooner, Tatsumi can radio in for me."

"Okay," said a tightlipped Tsuzuki.

As soon as everyone gave each other an affirmative nod, the four shinigami disappeared to fulfill their respective missions.

* * *

Watari marched inside his laboratory. He saw that Chief Konoe was looking over the Gushoshin Twin's shoulders while they ran queries in EnmaCho's vast database.

"Troy escaped from the infirmary," said Chief Konoe with a heavy sigh, as he leaned his arm on the desk where the Gushoshin Twins worked.

"Bon already told us," remarked the scientist, as he joined his superior and observed one drawing after another appearing on the computer monitor.

Glancing for a second at Watari, the elderly chief explained, "We saw Troy moments before he and the hexagram disappeared...and then we saw this symbol...."

The scientist received the paper from Konoe where the latter drew a symbol...a rectangle enclosed within a circle. A cross adorned that rectangle's bottom and a wavy line intersected the rectangle's top.

Watari's eyes went wide and his heart raced, as he asked Gushoshin Elder, "May I use the computer for a manual search?"

Immediately after Gushoshin Elder gave him room, Watari sat down and worked. Once his fingers touched the keyboard, the scientist typed furiously as he followed his hunch. He compared each symbol appearing on the screen with Chief Konoe's drawing...repeating the exercise until his eyes rested on the twelfth symbol that was in his mental list of guesses.

The symbol before them consisted of twenty small circles varying in size....each shape strategically arranged inside and around a rectangle. The upper line completing the rectangle was adorned with a wavy line that intersected it, and the right-hand end of that upper line ended with a triangle.

"I was afraid of this," said Watari under his breath. "When Troy activated the sixth anagram, he unlocked the _Seal of Abigor._"

The Gushoshin Twin's eyes went wide, as the younger of the two muttered in recognition, "_Abigor?_ Abigor, as in the leader of the Dukes and Grand Dukes of Hell?"

"This isn't good. He's more powerful than _Sargatanas_," suggested the elder Gushoshin while he hovered over Watari's shoulder.

Chief Konoe's customary frown deepened further, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "A human would not normally have any access to such members of Hell's upper hierarchy. EnmaDaiOh-sama must know about this new development, as well as Tsuzuki and the rest."

As Watari logged in and launched a different computer program, he reassured his superior, "I'll be joining them within the hour, Chief. While the Gushoshin conduct more research about Abigor and the rest search for Troy, I'll make a new batch of the stabilizing potion in case they find Troy."

Bowing his head down and closing his eyes to contemplate on the recent turn of events, the chief told his subordinate, "You must hurry back to them, Watari. If a high-level demon such as Abigor is really involved, even Tsuzuki's fully unleashed dark powers would not be enough to stop him. With this new development, this whole matter may be much deeper and more conspiratorial for a mere retrieval and murder case...."

**End of Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

_The depiction of Ashtarote and Sargatanas in this fan fiction belongs to Matsushita Yoko, although these two are found in demonology and mythology books._

_The depiction of Abigor in this fan fiction also belongs to Zatken, although Abigor is found in demonology and mythology books._

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Bon_**_, which means kid, is Watari's endearing way of calling or referring to Hisoka._

**_Ashtarote _**_is the Grand Duke of Hell in the manga and anime. Since Tsuzuki conquered **Sargatanas**, Ashtarote has wanted our amethyst-eyed shinigami to replace Sargatanas as the Brigadier Commander of Hell's army. According to demonology books, Ashtarote rules over 40 legions (or realms) of spirits and appears in the form of a hurt angel riding a dragon. On other interpretations, he is described as an "ugly angel," which makes me wonder if there is such a thing....._

**_Sargatanas_**_ is the Brigadier Commander of Hell's army and the leader of the spirit wanderers...the main demonic villain in the Devil's Trill Story Arc._

**_Abigor _**_is the leader of dukes and grand dukes of hell, ruling over 60 legions (or realms) of spirits. Other interpretations depict him as higher in Hell's hierarchy compared to Ashtarote, and others depict him as on equal status with Ashtarote...with Ashtarote being more politically powerful and Abigor being militarily and strategically stronger than Ashtarote. **Abigor **appears in the form of a handsome knight carrying a lance, a banner, and a serpent. The demon is a wise military strategist, fierce warrior and commander, seer, and military advisor. The description above is the **Seal of Abigor**, which according to legend was used by King Solomon to summon Abigor. _


	17. Faceoff

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Sixteen – Faceoff**

* * *

Another multi-divisional meeting transpired before Lord Enma's presence. Once again, another argument ensured between two sides...a lone Chief Konoe in staunch defense of Tsuzuki and his Division, and the rest in fervent favor of punishing Tsuzuki for what they consider as the amethyst-eyed shinigami's latest failure. 

The Peace Preservation Chief and the Advocate Division Chief contended that Tsuzuki was more of a liability as the time went by. They argued that the shinigami's "instability and incompetence" led to the death of Misawa Tia.

Chief Konoe, in his usual passion and conviction, defended Tsuzuki and his staff in so many ways during his peers' antagonism.

While the heated debate raged before his presence, Enma remained silent as he stewed in anger. He had warned everyone on the consequence of wasting his time in such petty quarrels, yet the imbeciles with the narrow vision insisted the soundness of their rationale over matters that they did not understand. The Lord of Death's piercing ruby eyes narrowed further as time went on, his blood boiling and his mind concocting ways in conveying one clear message.... no one would defy his wishes without paying dearly for his folly.

When everyone else was dismissed from EnmaCho's chambers, Chief Konoe was once again before Lord Enma...with the chief reporting in-depth regarding the Tsuuri retrieval, the Kyoto murders, the link between the two cases, Muraki's involvement over the two cases, and Abigor's seal appearing before Troy's disappearance from the infirmary.

The Shokan Division's chief heard the enigmatic Lord of Death move about his throne behind the raised dais...the latter asking, "What does your instinct tell you, Konoe? How was Muraki able to coax Tsuuri Troy out of Meifu?"

After letting out a troubled sigh, Konoe looked sideways for many minutes. Finally building the courage to verbalize the hunch that he hated to admit but had been bothering him for many months, he said, "Muraki might have an insider working with him. Tatsumi reported that Muraki bragged about his _sources_ when they confronted each other in Kyoto months ago. I trust all my men's loyalty to the Shokan Division and EnmaCho."

Enma's piercing and probing gaze remained transfixed on Konoe, as he remarked, "As cunning as he is, Muraki's moves have always been too calculated to give credit solely to his ingenuity. The likelihood of having a traitor among our ranks is much stronger now. That possibility, along with Muraki working with darker forces puts JuOhCho and Meifu itself in danger."

"What about Great Duke Abigor and his Seal, my lord? What about Tsuuri Troy?"

"Abigor's abilities equal or even exceed Ashtarote's powers. It's premature to speculate...so for now, entertain the idea that the enemies we now face are far stronger and more dangerous than Abigor. As to Tsuuri Troy, he must be retrieved as soon as possible."

"The shinigami are searching for the boy, as we speak. Our Division will do everything in its capability to complete this case," said the chief before he placed his hand over his heart and gave the Lord of Death a respectful bow.

"Konoe...."

Upon hearing his name echo throughout the vast chamber, the elderly chief stopped his departure. He turned around and marched back to the raised dais...stopping his calculated steps until he was twenty paces away from the platform.

"Have your men retrieve Tsuuri Troy's body _and_ soul. Burn his house and let everyone else speculate that he died in that fire. His body will be buried here in Meifu, and his soul will undergo judgment proceedings."

The elderly chief stood in silence and shock.

In a matter-of-fact tone, Enma asked, "Is there something that you wish to say, Konoe?"

"I mean no disrespect, my lord. I was just curious," replied Konoe, as he bowed his head and went down on one knee.

A tightlipped Enma, assessing that Konoe's sincere demeanor was more out of surprise than defiance, remained calm. "I understand that EnmaCho retrieved souls, and not bodies. There are reasons for me giving your office such a directive. After your Division handles the Tsuuri retrieval and stops the Kyoto murders, tell Tatsumi that I wish to speak with him."

Konoe nodded and reassured the Lord of Death, "We'll carry out your request, my lord."

Seeing Konoe bid farewell with a bow and leave his presence a second time, Enma's ruby eyes now looked downward as he mused, "The chain of events have already started eons ago. Everything must continue according to my plan, so that he awakens...even if it means that six greater threats to the realms above and below will be awakened along with him."

* * *

Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Hisoka materialized at the outskirts of Kyoto once Tsuzuki's mystical pigeon and Tatsumi's shadows pinpointed Troy's whereabouts. As the three shinigami hid behind bushes inside the compound of a dilapidated mansion, Tsuzuki looked behind them and said, "Just in time, Watari." 

As Watari explained what the Shokan Division uncovered, he received three different reactions once he mentioned the name Abigor...Tatsumi's eyes went wide, Tsuzuki blinked a couple of times from not recognizing who Abigor was but knowing that the demon was dangerous, and Hisoka shuddered from the shock coming from his companions.

Tatsumi let out a heavy sigh while pushing his glasses back. "This isn't good..."

The blond scientist nodded as he ruefully said, "That's exactly what the Chief, the Gushoshin Twins, and I said back at the lab."

Raising an eyebrow, as the demon's name still did not spark any recognition in his memory, Tsuzuki asked, "What does Abigor have to do with Muraki?"

Watari gave Tsuzuki a semi-disappointed glance. "For the past ninety-something years that you've been a shinigami, you really should brush up on your reading. Abigor wields a higher rank and holds more military might than Ashtarote. He may not be as politically savvy as Ashtarote, but he's a shrewd leader and powerful mage within the battlefields of Hell. He won't be in charge of sixty hellish realms if he didn't have the power to conquer and maintain them. We had big trouble when we dealt with Sargatanas, so just imagine how much havoc Abigor could cause."

While the others shuddered from vivid memories of the Shokan Division's encounter with Sargatanas, Hisoka told his peers as he kept his gaze at the crumbling mansion, "I can sense Troy's presence, but it's getting fainter. I'm also picking up another presence."

As the three elder shinigami stared at their youngest companion, Tsuzuki suggested, "Is it Muraki?"

Hisoka shook his head, trying to shake off the lingering sense of evil seeping through his system. "It's not just Muraki. Someone, or something else, is there with them."

Hearing what Hisoka just told them and having a chill travel down his spine, Watari intently said to the young man as he rose from his crouching position, "You're sounding more pessimistic than you normally do, Bon."

As the three of them stared at his partner, Tsuzuki could tell that Hisoka was on the verge of psychic overloaded although the young man held his ground. Barely keeping his concern for Hisoka in check and knowing that such potent evil existed inside the mansion's walls, Tsuzuki proposed, "Hisoka and I will cover downstairs, while you and Watari search upstairs."

A tightlipped Watari told his peers, "The four of us are walking in on a trap."

His eyes transfixed at the abandoned mansion before them, Tsuzuki said in a quiet but firm tone, "I know that, but we have to save Troy...."

Tatsumi interjected, "Let us stick together. We have no idea what Muraki has in store for us."

Sensing that Tatsumi's proposal was sound, everyone gave his nod and disappeared. The four kept their invisible forms inside the mansion, exploring every room located upstairs before searching downstairs. The three elder shinigami stopped and looked behind them, as their youngest companion stopped and stared at a wall.

Tsuzuki asked, once he stood beside his partner, "What's wrong?"

Although sweat began to bead on his forehead and he felt weaker than before, Hisoka said without hesitation and in absolute certainty, "Troy's behind this wall."

The four shinigami walked through the wall and saw an unconscious Troy shackled to a metal table. As Tatsumi and Tsuzuki worked on releasing Troy from his metal bonds, Watari searched deep in his pockets...pulling out a disposable syringe and a vial of his latest stabilizing potion. Taking Troy's scaly arm, the scientist injected the young man with the serum.

Hisoka, still unable to recover from his weakening state, continued to stare at the middle of the circular table situated beside where Troy was shackled. Although the spot was empty, the empath sensed the vibrating spiritual trace residue.

"Are you looking for this, boy?" said a cold voice from behind them.

The four men from EnmaCho spun around and saw Muraki emerge from the shadows...the latter triumphantly holding up the smoky quartz with his right hand, while they respectively felt a different and more malevolent aura radiating from the evil doctor.

As Muraki's intent footsteps echoed against the marbled floor, he told the secretary while gazing at Watari, "Ah, Tatsumi-san.... You should've heeded your friend's wise warning. For someone so calculating, you should know better to stay away from a trap when one is obviously set up for all of you."

Smirking as he saw Tatsumi's eyes narrow so dangerously while the shadows swirled around the latter, Muraki turned to Hisoka. Using the power from the smoky quartz, the doctor made the young shinigami fall on his knees and writhe in pain.

Once Tsuzuki charged to rescue Hisoka, a violent and invisible force pushed everyone away from where they stood. He and Hisoka were slammed hard against the wall, while the metal table where Troy remained shackled hit Tatsumi and Watari.

Troy, on the other hand, was freed from his bonds when the table crashed against Tatsumi and Watari.

Shaking his head, Tsuzuki's eyes flashed as he glared at the doctor. As his anger rose, an aura of iridescent black and purple surrounded him...followed by wind and flame swirling around him. At the same time, Tatsumi summoned more shadows from the void to do his bidding. Watari pulled Troy to safety.

While all four shinigami summoned as much physical and psychic strength to aid them, the crystal illuminated its brightest light since the primordial demons entrusted the smoky gem to Muraki.

With his silver-and-blue eyes gleamed with such malevolent insanity, Muraki said as he stared at a weakening Hisoka situated behind Tsuzuki, "I could do whatever I please when it comes to my toys, Tsuzuki-san. Remember, my emerald-eyed doll had been mine much longer that he had been with you...and at a much more explorative and intimate level than you've ever had been with him. I could've also had more of my way with the demon spawn, until you and your peers opted to join in...."

The four had heard enough. As more anger and power were unleashed from each shinigami, the more that each one felt faint...and at the same time, the crystal shone brighter in the dimming light.

Barely staying in control, Tsuzuki's eyes flashed in such anger as he chanted through gritted teeth....

_I bow to thee and beseech you,_

_The Twelve Gods that protect me;_

_The sword of Heaven,_

_The living steel of nothingness,_

_In the silver tusk!_

_Appear before me, Byakko!_

Once Byakko appeared, Tsuzuki grimaced in pain. Before his vision dimmed, he saw the white tiger shikigami disappear and the crystal in Muraki's hand shine even brighter. His peers' eyes went wide, as he tried to summon Suzaku and failed.

At the same time, the shadows that swirled around Tatsumi returned to the dark void.

A fierce wind emanating from the crystal blew everything around Muraki...slamming five helpless bodies against the wall.

Tsuzuki was on his hands and knees, as his body convulsed from pain. Nonetheless, he mustered all of the strength that he could manage.

With a twisted smirk escaping his lips, Muraki approached Tsuzuki and knelt beside him. Pulling the shinigami by the hair, Muraki seductively whispered in Tsuzuki's ear, "You're such a sentimental fool, Tsuzuki-san."

Hearing their enemy's words, Tsuzuki's eyes went wide as he realized that the trap they fell into was bigger than expected. Muraki intended all of these events to happen...trapping Troy, forcing Troy's demonic transformation, draining him and Tatsumi of their powers, weakening Watari and Hisoka....

All of Muraki's plans fell into place....

A weakened Tsuzuki's heart raced as Muraki pushed him...his back landing hard and his body shivering against the cold marble floor.

As Muraki pinned his body against Tsuzuki, the evil doctor planted a lascivious and forced kiss on the shinigami's trembling lips.

Before he kissed Tsuzuki for a second time, Muraki said while running a finger and following the contours of Tsuzuki's lips, "How does it feel to have your wings finally clipped, my dear Tsuzuki-san? Do you now want those dark powers that you so despised be returned to you, so that you could finally destroy me?"

Fear coursed through Tsuzuki's being, shuddering more as he heard Muraki tell him, "You should've left Tsuuri Troy under my care. Because of your carelessness, I now hold the very power that I've sought from you all these years. Soon, I'll also have your body and soul while your companions suffer from your foolishness...."

Tsuzuki's eyes streamed down his cheeks from pain and humiliation, as Muraki continued with his unwanted advances. With his companions lying unconscious and with no powers or shikigami to rescue them, Tsuzuki's mind spun. He suffocated at the thought that they were all at Muraki's mercy, and that he was powerless to save them.

**End of Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

_The depiction of Ashtarote and Sargatanas in this fan fiction belongs to Matsushita Yoko, although these two are found in demonology and mythology books._

_The depiction of Abigor in this fan fiction also belongs to Zatken, although Abigor is found in demonology and mythology books._

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Bon_**_, which means kid, is Watari's endearing way of calling or referring to Hisoka._

**_Byakko_**_, a white tiger, is one of the twelve shinigami under Tsuzuki's command._

**_Ashtarote _**_is the Grand Duke of Hell in the manga and anime. Since Tsuzuki conquered **Sargatanas**, Ashtarote has wanted our amethyst-eyed shinigami to replace Sargatanas as the Brigadier Commander of Hell's army. According to demonology books, Ashtarote rules over 40 legions (or realms) of spirits and appears in the form of a hurt angel riding a dragon. On other interpretations, he is described as an "ugly angel," which makes me wonder if there is such a thing....._

**_Sargatanas_**_ is the Brigadier Commander of Hell's army and the leader of the spirit wanderers...the main demonic villain in the Devil's Trill Story Arc._

**_Abigor _**_is the leader of dukes and grand dukes of hell, ruling over 60 legions (or realms) of spirits. Other interpretations depict him as higher in Hell's hierarchy compared to Ashtarote, and others depict him as on equal status with Ashtarote...with Ashtarote being more politically powerful and Abigor being militarily and strategically stronger than Ashtarote. **Abigor **appears in the form of a handsome knight carrying a lance, a banner, and a serpent. The demon is a wise military strategist, fierce warrior and commander, seer, and military advisor. The description above is the **Seal of Abigor**, which according to legend was used by King Solomon to summon Abigor. _


	18. A Matter of Choices

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Seventeen – A Matter of Choices**

* * *

To the Reader

_This chapter contains insinuations of rape, as well as instances of non-consensual touching._

* * *

Tatsumi, Watari, and Hisoka stirred from unconsciousness...each one feeling drained and battered from the encounter against Muraki.

Several feet away, a semi-conscious Tsuzuki was bound against a wooden post and an amused Muraki was still having his way with him. Physically and psychically drained, Tsuzuki could not do anything as unwelcome lips ghosted all over his neck, the back of his ear, and his smooth chest while caressing fingers explored intimate parts of his body.

Hisoka's gritted his teeth and his blood boiled seeing the doctor taking such lecherous pleasure with his partner, the sight triggering memories of rape and torture at Muraki's hands. As the empath lifted his arms, the metal shackles clanged as they hit the marbled floor. Just then, he realized that he shared metal shackles with Troy to his right and Tatsumi to his left.

"Would you rather watch or join, boy? After all, I already taught you what to do years ago," Muraki asked Hisoka without looking behind him and continuing his way with Tsuzuki. He was amused knowing that a pair of emerald eyes burned in such fury, prompting him to touch Tsuzuki even more.

"Get your hands off him!"

Another chuckle and a twisted smirk escaped Muraki's lips. Recognizing the owner of that voice, he taunted, "Well, the great secretary of JuOhCho is awake as well. Are you jealous, envious, or excited to see me have my way with JuOhCho's most powerful shinigami? What do you propose you should do to me if I don't stop, Tatsumi-san? Arrangements could be made, if you want me to give you the same treatment."

Tatsumi's vision dimmed, seething in silent rage as he confirmed that his shadow magic was still drained and wanting to wring Muraki's neck for revenge. His emotions overflowing with disgust and a bitter aftertaste left in his mouth, he retorted, "Your sick games don't mean anything to me! I'll cut you down, starting with that tongue of yours!"

Muraki ignored Tatsumi's threat, and instead gave Tsuzuki another probing kiss on the lips. The doctor reveled at the fact that at least three pairs of eyes were focused on him and what he was doing to Tsuzuki, as he teased the semi-lucid shinigami with a combination of light and hungry kisses, whispered intimate promises that intend to torment his captive, and allowed his fingers to linger around Tsuzuki's collar.

Tsuzuki did not have the strength to fight back, but his cloudy mind was trying to find a way to escape from all of this without the aid of his powers….

As his silver-and-blue eyes fell on his prey, Muraki smiled at the prospect of finally having Tsuzuki and making the rest watch in disgust. To him, it was delightful torture to have his enemies in physical, mental, and emotional bonds. However, what he relished the most was having the one that he loved and obsessed about under his mercy. His mind and heart raced knowing that he could torment, ravish, and exploit Tsuzuki in the most explorative and cruelest of ways…much more than what he did to Hisoka for three long years.

The rest then heard the ripping of cloth, as well as the sound of shirt buttons hitting the marbled floor…followed by the unzipping of pants, and the light chuckle from the one who had them in chains. Three pairs of eyes flashed and then closed, as each of their owners tried his best not to have their anger cloud quick focus.

All efforts, however, were to no avail….

"You're going to pay for this, Muraki Kazutaka! I swear," said an enraged Tatsumi under his breath, while Hisoka and Watari respectively thought of ways to set them free and get their revenge against the doctor later.

With the stabilizing potion taking effect and being startled from Tatsumi's voice, Troy began to regain consciousness. It took a while for him to realize that he was still Muraki's captive, and that the rest were captured when they tried to save him. Still disoriented and weak, he struggled to rest his back against the cold marble pillar as he mumbled, "Hisoka, we need to break that crystal…."

Without removing his glare at a preoccupied Muraki, Hisoka asked Troy, "How? Muraki drained all of our powers."

"You can catalyze a person's latent psychic powers, and Muraki wasn't able to drain all of your powers yet. The crystal that you saw in his hand has the same magic that Jii-chan used to bind my powers. It amplifies a person's active powers, and then drains it from him. The hexagram works the same way. You could use me to boost your telepathy, channel into another source of power once it materializes, and undo Muraki's spell."

Hisoka, who read Troy's thoughts, grimly stared at his fellow captive. "You want me to use the energy surge coming from the hexagram."

"You'll have the hexagram and the sixth anagram's powers at your disposal."

Watari shook his head, and then interjected, "I can help, since I have some power left. The plan could work, kid, but you're too weak right now. You need whatever reserves are there for you to heal. If Bon uses you as a battery and then a conduit to dump excess power –"

As his lungs craved for air, Troy took in a couple of sallow breaths before he mustered to say, "Souls are trapped within that crystal. It already drained Tsuzuki-san and Tatsumi-san's powers. It siphoned most of our powers. Aiko, Yuta, and all those murdered people's souls are trapped in it. Very soon, it'll suck out our souls."

The three shinigami knew that Troy was right....

After a long silence between them, Troy mentally told Hisoka, "You know exactly what to do to help them."

"I know, but..."

Although another jolt of pain coursed through his body, Tatsumi told Hisoka as calmly as he could, "I agree with Tsuuri-kun. We're running out of time and options. "

Hisoka knew exactly what to do, and the plan was dangerous....

After establishing a psychic link between him and Troy, Hisoka must channel in with Watari, Tatsumi, and Tsuzuki's respective consciousness. As the empath amassed the magic coming from four different sources and merging it with his own powers, he could build a spirit shield to block the smoky crystal's magic. Once everyone's magic was unblocked, each one could now fight Muraki, destroy the crystal, and release the captive souls locked inside the smoky gem. However, he also knew that such a potent spell required a large mass of psychic energy. He attempted handling huge amounts of magic since his recent training sessions with Chief Konoe, but he still could not control such force without feeling weak or overloaded. Using Troy as a source and eventually a buffer for energy that he could not handle might work, but he would be endangering the two of them.

As Hisoka assessed the consequences of such plan, all he managed to do was ask Troy, "What about you?"

Aware of what fears coursed through Hisoka's mind, Troy replied loud enough for Tatsumi and Watari to hear, "I also take risks for those who I care for, Hisoka. Help the others be able to fight Muraki, too. Let me help you. It is our only chance to free ourselves, as well as Aiko and Yuta.... _You're _our only chance…. Once we start, all of us must concentrate on Muraki and not look back."

The tightlipped empath closed his eyes and pondered on Troy's proposal. Although the plan did not leave him at ease, he knew that he had no other choice when he murmured, "All right...."

Watari and Tatsumi joined Hisoka, as the three of them closed their eyes to clear their minds and prepare for what would happen next.

With his heart racing and his lungs aching for air, Troy also closed his eyes and then prayed, "Please forgive me. I did almost everything that I could, but this is the only way to help us now. Please be with me and guide me." Although the pain lancing and burning through his body increased, he did his best to relax and let go.

As the powers locked within Troy for eight years began to course throughout his body, mind, and spirit, he chanted....

_Oh earth, air, fire, metal, spirit, and water, _

_Arcane magic from above and under;_

_Chaos bound and once part of me, _

_From thy prison, I set thee free. _

_This promise I make before thy very sight,_

_Never to banish thee as I did before; _

_Merge with me as one... now and forevermore, _

_Imbue thy gifts and strengthen me with thy might! _

Hisoka opened his eyes as he sensed a blinding and warm light surround them. He, Watari, and Tatsumi gaped when they saw the ancient inscriptions enclosed within two concentric circles appear around them...followed by the formation of a hexagram and the emanation of heat from underneath them. As the two triangles forming the hexagram and the ancient letters spun around them, Hisoka and Tatsumi's eyes narrowed when hexagram and its inscriptions transformed into another symbol....

With wide eyes and held breath, Watari told his peers, "That's the Seal of Abigor...."

Once the same phenomenon materialized a few feet away from the four of them, a surge of hope filled Hisoka's being. He concentrated as another Seal formed around a bound and semi-lucid Tsuzuki, and an invisible force threw Muraki hard against the wall.

Their plan was working perfectly….

Channeling through the energies released from the Seal, Hisoka then linked with Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Watari's consciousness. As he built a pool of psychic energy within him, he cast the spell....

Shaking his head from the impact, Muraki rose from the floor and stared at Hisoka through cracked glasses. Sensing what Hisoka was trying to do, he summoned his Ooryu Dragon and ordered it to attack his four other captives.

However, Hisoka's spirit shield materialized seconds before the Ooryu Dragon's blast was about to hit them. As the balls of flame ricocheted against a wood-paneled wall and set it on fire, another spirit shield enclosed Tsuzuki.

Shortly after the two spirit shields formed, two events happened…the four shinigami felt their respective physical and psychic strength return and they were all freed from their metal bonds.

Tsuzuki fell to his hands and knees, while Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi stood up…each one feeling the burn from the molten metal but nonetheless ignoring the pain as the injury healed within minutes. As Tatsumi called his shadows from the void, Tsuzuki summoned Byakko and Suzaku. Hisoka and Watari kept their concentration on the events before them, ensuring that the spirit shields surrounding them and Tsuzuki stayed until the end of the battle.

Over the destruction and noise created by wind and flame, Hisoka yelled as he saw Muraki take backwards steps and reach out for the smoky quartz, "Tsuzuki, break the crystal!"

Hearing Hisoka from behind him while Suzaku and Byakko attacked the Ooryu Dragon, Tsuzuki scanned a few feet before him. As he spotted the gem on the floor and saw that Muraki was only a few feet away from it, Tsuzuki focused most of his psychic energies at the object.

Once Muraki grabbed the smoky crystal, it shattered in his hand. With its slivers flying in various directions, groaning souls were released. At the same time, Muraki's body absorbed the dark liquid that escaped from the crystal.

"Those souls are not yours to release!" Muraki vehemently cried out, as he flung his hands and ordered the Ooryu Dragon to attack the men from EnmaCho once more. He could feel the dark liquid from the shattered gem oozing through his veins, mixing in with his blood, burning inside his body.

As Tsuzuki's eyes flashed in anger, the mansion shook from its foundations and the marble floor cracked from underneath his feet. An aura of black and purple surrounded him and flickered like thick flames as he retorted, "And those souls are also not yours to keep!"

When Muraki's shikigami launched a series of fireballs, Suzaku screeched and flapped her fiery wings...each beat of her wings swallowed the fireballs and made their flames her own. After consuming her opponent's attacks, she flung them back full-force at the Ooryu Dragon as she released a breath of fire.

The Ooryu dragon roared. As its gargantuan body burned along with its surroundings, the shikigami disappeared and returned to where it came from....

Referring to his shattered quartz as he began to disappear into the void, Muraki yelled in fanatical fervor as he felt the physiological change within him continue, "You've just unleashed something far worse than JuOhCho could possibly handle! You may have won this battle, Tsuzuki-san, but the war above and below is just beginning!"

Even though Muraki disappeared minutes ago, it took a while before the four shinigami relaxed and acknowledged that the greater danger was over. As they saw the dilapidated mansion's walls and ceiling now engulfed in flames, Tsuzuki thanked Suzaku and Byakko before sending them back to Gensoukai…upset that Muraki once again escaped, relieved since he and his companions just barely survived the ordeal, and aware that Muraki would be back.

As Hisoka and Tatsumi approached Tsuzuki and assisted him, Watari turned around and checked Troy's condition. His eyes went wide and his demeanor turned grim, as he helped the young man lie down on the marbled floor. He then called out, "Guys!"

Knowing what Watari's frantic cry meant, Hisoka took the lead as the three of them ran to join the scientist. They stopped running once they reached Watari and Troy, each one shocked from what they saw....

Blood oozed out from Troy's nose, mouth, and deep wounds. His battered body slowly changed back in its fully human form. A grim-looking Watari provided as much comfort as he could give for him, as he convulsed and coughed up more blood.

Tsuzuki knelt down at Troy's left while Tatsumi crouched beside Watari. Removing his trench coat, covering the young man's shivering body, and lifting him from the floor, Tsuzuki said as he gazed at Troy's face, "Please hold on...."

Seconds before the ceiling caved in and the flames claimed the rest of the mansion, the five disappeared and materialized in EnmaCho's infirmary.

Glancing at his patient, Watari told Tsuzuki, "It's too late for him, but I'll do everything that I can."

"It's not too late," replied Tsuzuki with conviction and certainty, as he laid Troy on the bed.

Watari and Tatsumi exchanged glances. Although they knew the inevitable, they nonetheless worked together in tending Troy's wounds and respected Tsuzuki's earnest hope for his retrieval. Watari knew that the stabilizing potion's effect, as well as the great physical and psychic strain in the young man's already weakened condition, took its toll against his patient.

As Troy opened his eyes, he saw cool green speckled with pinkish-white petals from the sakura trees outside the infirmary's window…the moonlight's beams playing with the colors and making the trees radiate an atmosphere of comfort and poignancy to those who wish to stare. He held on to the feeling of peace that the lovely sight brought him, helping him stifle some of the physical agony that he felt.

Hisoka kept his silence, as he looked away from Troy while pangs of guilt ate inside him. He did not know that Troy just read his thoughts, and that Troy felt responsible for his sadness.

As Troy struggled to breathe, he scanned his surroundings and then gazed at everyone with gratitude. Knowing that the psychic link between him and the youngest shinigami was still there, he mentally ensured the empath, "The five of us worked together. We saved those souls and ourselves. That's more than enough for me...."

"If there was any other way, I wouldn't..." Hisoka clenched his fists, as his mused response to Troy drifted off in his guilt-ridden mind and made his eyes glisten in held-back tears.

Tears brought about by a mixture of physical agony and emotional relief flowed from Troy's eyes. He then thought, "T-This is no one's fault, Hisoka. When Muraki captured me, I saw what was going to happen to me. I want to stay human. Please tell everyone that this is what I wanted and thanks for everything...especially the friendship. Even if it was for a short time, you all made me feel that I belong somewhere…just as Aiko, Yuta, and Jii-chan did."

All were silent, as a glowing ball emerged from Troy's heart. Suspended in midair, the mystical ball had a silver cord that served as its link with Troy's body. The four shinigami fell sad knowing exactly what they were seeing before them...the glowing ball of light floating in front of Tsuzuki was Troy's soul, and the silver cord was the young man's life.

When Tsuzuki looked deeply into Troy's eyes, his tears flowed more freely from guilt and disbelief. His body quivered from shock, despair, and guilt...his mind's eye recalling memories of the young boy that he and Tatsumi retrieved decades ago when they were still partners.

The past events that broke Tsuzuki and made Tatsumi decide to leave him years ago replayed before their very eyes...and now, Tsuzuki was forced to make a decision.

Tatsumi's concerned gaze was transfixed at Tsuzuki, fearing that his former partner's reaction over these events could push him over the edge once more. Watari was torn apart between wanting to help his best friend by prolonging Troy's life and not knowing how to do so. Hisoka, as hard as it was for him to concentrate due to the emotions bombarding and saturating his psyche, kept all focus and energy on his distraught partner.

Tsuzuki felt Hisoka's hand rest over his back. Lifting his face and scanning his surroundings, he saw three pairs of eyes staring at him...their grim owners silent but each one waiting for his move. Reading and refusing the unspoken message that his three companions have been trying to tell him, the shinigami could not help but look into Troy's eyes....

What met Tsuzuki's gaze broke and tormented his heart. He saw Troy's eyes mirroring a plea of mercy, along with the acknowledgment of trust and consent.

Torn between prolonging Troy's life and ending the young man's agony, Tsuzuki bit his lip so hard that it bled. With a burdened heart, he lifted his hand, reached out, held the glowing ball suspended before him, and felt the gentle tug coming from the silver cord. As bitter tears flowed down his cheeks, he uttered the incantation to complete the summons that he served Troy days ago.

Once a guilt-ridden Tsuzuki said the last words of his spell, he and his three companions fell sad and quiet as they witnessed what happened next....

When the silver cord that served as the sole link between Troy's body and soul was severed, the young man took his last pained breath and closed his eyes.

**End of Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Tsuuri Troy, Tsuuri Yuta, Ikuru Aiko, Kota Senji, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Bon_**_ is Watari's affectionate way of calling or referring to Hisoka. It means kid._

**_Gensouka_**_i is the mystical home to Tsuzuki's shikigami. The environment in **Gensoukai** is similar to ancient China._

**_Byakko_**_ and **Suzaku** are two of Tsuzuki's twelve shikigamis under his command**. Byakko** is a white tiger in his true form… and a handsome young man with a long furry white tail when he's walking around Gensoukai. Demeanor-wise, **Byakko's** similar to Tsuzuki. **Suzaku** is a phoenix in her battle form, and a dark-haired warrior wielding a large sword in her human form. **Suzaku** is very protective of Tsuzuki, and always picks a fight with **Touda** (another one of Tsuzuki's twelve shikigami). Tsuzuki affectionately calls **Suzaku** as Nee-san._

_By the way, there are about three to four more chapters of **Kyoto Files Revisited** left. The last two chapters are already done, and the next one to this posting is two-thirds done…so expect an update next week. To those who took the time to read this story, many thanks to you... To those who read and reviewed the story, thanks for your wonderful support and inspiration… And to those who have been following the story and leaving constructive / encouraging feedback, thanks a million ;-D I'm learning so much from all of you, and it's such a blessing for a aspiring writer who wants to improve her skills to get such feedback._

_A sequel to **Kyoto Files Revisited** is also in the works. To those who are familiar with my Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics and are keeping up with the **Lost Soul** story arcs, each subsequent story arc is darker and deeper than the first…so expect the same thing for **Kyoto Files**._

_Let me know what you think of **Kyoto Files**, the plot, and the characters via your reviews. Also, please let me know what you think about Tsuuri Troy. _

_Let me know what you think of this story, the plot, and the characters via your reviews. Also, please let me know what you think about Tsuuri Troy and the other original characters appearing in this story…you'll see some of them in the sequel, but I'm not telling you who you'll see ;-D _

_Warmest regards, and may the blessings of the New Year continue to shine upon all of you. You're the best!_

**_Luv lots and huggles, _**

**_PJ Zatken_**

* * *

**_Review Responses_**

**_Oh, the references to Tsuzuki's "fully unleashed dark powers…."_**

_Those dark powers are the ones that Tsuzuki tries not to tap into, and comes up whenever he becomes extremely angry or out of control. The first volume of the Yami no Matsuei manga showed us a glimpse of what those powers are when he battles against Muraki to save Hisoka. Another glimpse is in the Devil's Trill story arc where a possessed Tsuzuki tries to conquer EnmaCho and the shinigami, and the most memorable one to me is the time where Tsuzuki loses his sanity when Suzaku kills a person that Tsuzuki tries to protect (by the way, Suzaku's actions here – even though Tsuzuki begs her to stop – is justified). I also have a major suspicion that these dark powers are the very ones that he unleashes at eighteen…driving him insane and landing him in Muraki's grandfather's hospital._


	19. Ruminations

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Eighteen - Ruminations**

* * *

As the candle representing Troy's life self-extinguished at the Castle of Candles, the antique grandfather clock chimed twelve times...marking the arrival of midnight.

Chief Konoe and the Earl gave each other meaningful and grim glances, as the Earl said, "No matter how many candles have lit and faded in this castle, a person's death always saddens me. Tsuuri Troy should be celebrating his nineteenth birthday today."

"Is it because there's no such thing as a life lived without any regret?" asked Konoe while he pondered over the fact that Troy's candle was barely consumed. Just as Tsuzuki did, he also wished that the young man had a different fate other than an early death. Now, he was worried on how Tsuzuki and his men would pull through.

After taking a sip of tea, the Earl let out a heavy sigh before remarking, "You're partly right. Beauty comes from a person's inner light...a strength that could only be brought out by those trials, as well as loved ones who stand by him. Just as I said before, people do change depending upon who they meet."

"Just like all of us here in Meifu... We live our afterlives as punishment and resolution for those regrets that caused us to be sentenced in purgatory. Instead, new regrets replace the old...or even build upon them. The cycle never ends."

"We _are_ surrounded by beauty. Each of us has a poignant story to tell, as well as inner demons to conquer," said the Earl, as his thoughts wandered and stirred his feelings for Tsuzuki...someone who would always be so close in his heart, yet so far from his reach.

Konoe took a sip of tea after he stared back at the floating mask before him and told his host, "Tsuzuki asked you to prolong Troy's life, and you granted his request."

There was no response from the Earl. All that was heard from him was a near-silent sigh.

Closing his eyes, the elderly chief said with certainty, "Tsuzuki delivered the retrieval summons on Troy, yet the boy exceeded the three-day reprieve after the summons was presented to him. It was obvious that you've extended Tsuzuki another favor."

The Earl's innocent reply was, "It was a warranted request from Tsuzuki. Tsuuri was needed to solve the case. However, our Tsuzuki retrieved him before the extended time that I've allotted. Tsuuri still had one more week to live, but Tsuzuki deemed it best to end the young man's suffering. You out of all people should understand Tsuzuki's predicament. After all, you retrieved his soul more than seventy years ago when he ended his own life."

Recalling the fateful night that he retrieved Tsuzuki, all that Konoe could say was, "Tsuzuki may be a headache and a goofball, but I understand him. He hides who he really is from everyone. He hides what he really thinks about himself. I don't blame him. I still shudder whenever I remember that night. It was just too much for someone to bear, especially since he went through so much."

"I worry about him, Konoe..."

Chief Konoe had a pained smile escape his lips, thankful for the assistance and empathy that his eccentric but predictably softhearted friend gave to Tsuzuki. "I worry about him, too. One day, though, he'll conquer those inner demons of his. Embracing them will free him from their hold, no matter how frightening they seem to be. I do hope he realizes that fact someday, for his sake."

* * *

The past twenty-four hours immediately after Troy's death was hazy for Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi.

The four shinigami spent the morning of their last day of undercover work watching the seniors at Saint Andrew's Academy graduate. Much to their surprise, Principal Yamada asked Hisoka to deliver the commencement address on Troy's behalf and disclosed that Troy had arranged for this a week before his death via telephone.

Immediately after Hisoka read the speech, a quiet Tsuzuki excused himself from Watari and Tatsumi and told them that he needed some air...

Just when Watari, Tatsumi, and Hisoka thought that Tsuzuki could not handle anymore, Tatsumi received a message from Chief Konoe regarding Lord Enma's order to burn Troy's house down. Aside from the directive, the secretary was also advised to give Tsuzuki a one-week vacation with pay and that the three of them could do the same if they wish.

The events after Konoe's message became the most unbearable for Tsuzuki. By this time, he and the rest already had an early dinner and stopped at three bars for a drink.

Before midnight, they materialized inside Troy's home, conducted a last-minute search, disappeared, and re-appeared outside the house. Tsuzuki summoned Suzaku and ordered her to burn down the house.

As the four watched the small house become engulfed in flames, slivers of forgotten memories sparked in Tsuzuki's mind. Those memories stemmed from when he was about Troy's age...the very night that he lost his sanity and his will to live. What also came flooding back were the last years of his life where he dazedly looked out the window hoping for death to come swiftly before him, or wishing for a caring soul to visit him and reassure him that everything would be all right.

No one, however, came for him...

The fateful night that claimed the lives of many others and cost Tsuzuki his sanity served as a grim reminder of who he truly was...a powerful and destructive force, as well as a creature whose desire to become human was too far from his reach. Ruka, the elder sister that he respected and loved, had been dead the evening that he went insane. He did not consider the doctor that visited him everyday as his friend, since he knew that he was merely an object of fancy rather than a human being who wanted affection from another.

Except for Chief Konoe, the Earl, and Lord Enma, no one knew the memories that Tsuzuki had buried deep within his psyche since that fateful night in 1918. Tsuzuki himself could not even confirm the validity or sequence of events, nor did he bother asking anyone about the past in fear of what ugly and painful truth that he might uncover about himself.

Chief Konoe, the shinigami who witnessed the night that Tsuzuki snapped and the one who retrieved Tsuzuki's soul eight years after that incident, kept the details of that evening from everyone to protect Tsuzuki. He knew that the two cases in Kyoto would bring about such despair and torment for Tsuzuki, but he was duty-bound to carry out Enma's instructions.

Tsuzuki's three companions were torn between their own guilt, as well as their worry for Tsuzuki.

Hisoka felt his partner's agony, as he saw some of Tsuzuki's memories. Aside from simply being there for Tsuzuki, he did not know how else to help. Tatsumi knew from how a grim Tsuzuki stared at the fire that his former partner was inches away from going over the edge. Watari, as silent as he was like his two other peers, empathized with Tsuzuki's pain.

When Watari rested his hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder, Hisoka and Tatsumi felt a glimmer of hope respectively dawn upon them as Tsuzuki rested his trembling hands on top of Watari's hands. For a second, the three of them saw that gesture as a sign that Tsuzuki was opening up to them...that in his own quiet way, he was reaching out for someone to save him...that he wanted to live and know that he would be loved no matter what happened.

And loved, cared, and worried for him, they did...

As hard at it was for Hisoka to keep his control, and for Tatsumi to keep himself from being drifted into Tsuzuki's dark despair, the two joined the blonde scientist as they rested their hands on top of Tsuzuki's and Watari's hands.

Just when Hisoka felt via his empathy that Tsuzuki was about to unravel, he sensed his partner's overwhelming sadness slowly but surely being covered up by a feeling of numbness and hopelessness. His blood froze as he and the others saw Tsuzuki look away from the fiery scene, the latter closing his eyes as tightly as he could while he disappeared.

* * *

"I've never seen him this way..."

Tatsumi stifled a sigh after hearing what Watari just told him. Instead, he took the small cup of warm sake from the scientist, savored the first serving in two gulps, asked for another serving, and took his time enjoying this subsequent cup.

Yes, it was true that this was the first time that Watari saw how low Tsuzuki could sink in despair but Tatsumi had seen it many times before. Watari had only seen Tsuzuki in this much agony for three days, while Tatsumi spent weeks with him after every case...watching helplessly as Tsuzuki cried and tried to hide his sadness through pained smiles.

Although many decades had past since Tatsumi stayed with Tsuzuki during troubled times, he was all-too-familiar with the emotions of guilt and helplessness. At first, Tatsumi thought that finding a distraught Tsuzuki sobbing while clinging on to a teddy bear's ripped head was too much for him.

What the three of them were seeing, and not seeing, was more unbearable...

A semi-catatonic Tsuzuki just sat on his bed, his back leaning against the wall as he stared straight out of his Meifu apartment window. As much as his three companions took turns being with him, bringing him food and drink, and talking with him, all their efforts fell on his deaf ears. He heard what the others had been telling him and he wanted to reply, but his mind and reflexes could not muster them out of him. Held back by his inner demons, his head kept replaying the flames that consumed Troy's house and the fires that haunted his memory and sanity more than seventy years ago.

"When he tore out that teddy bear's head and cuddled it, I knew that he wanted to reach out for someone. Right now, he's not saying anything...no whimpers, sobs, screams, or nightmares," Tatsumi told Watari, as he stared out of the living room window and watched the setting sun.

"I have a confession to make," mumbled the scientist as he sat beside the secretary on the couch that faced the window. "At first, I thought that you were such a heartless bastard for leaving Tsuzuki-san without a partner. Until I worked with him in Kyoto for two times, I never knew what you and he had to go through when you were still partners. It must've been hard seeing and being with him in such a state."

Glancing sideways after he downed the last sip of sake from his cup and placing it down at the table, Tatsumi then remarked, "I don't have Kurosaki-kun's tenacity, and I don't think that I'll ever will. I just sat there beside him in his room for hours. I don't know what to tell him, or do for him..."

In a tone of subtle encouragement, Watari said, "Bon _is _strong, but he didn't handle this matter alone just as you did years ago. All of us are there for each other. Sometimes, what a troubled friend needs is for someone to be with him. No talk, no activity...just simply being there makes a difference."

A tightlipped Tatsumi let out a burdened sigh as he mused, "I suppose..."

The two men's attention and train of thought diverted when they heard the door to Tsuzuki's bedroom slid open and shut...

"How's Tsuzuki-san doing?" asked Tatsumi while his azure eyes followed Hisoka as the young man sat on the opposite loveseat.

Helping himself with a cup of lukewarm jasmine tea and not being able to respond, Hisoka shook his head and blinked his eyes a couple of times to shake off the sadness within him. After many minutes of silence to regroup his thoughts and strength, he sighed and said, "He shut us out. I can't reach out to him."

As his eyes rested on the long rectangular cedar box sitting at the coffee table, Watari remarked, "Give him time, Bon. The only thing that we can do is be there for Tsuzuki-san. He's the only one who could pull himself out of this." He then gave Hisoka a meaningful and hopeful look as he continued, "You must believe when I say that he'll pull through this."

Tatsumi leaned back on the couch and pointed at the varnished cedar box. Remembering that Hisoka carried it out of Troy's house minutes before Suzaku burned the place down, he then inquired, "Kurosaki-kun, what's inside that box?"

"I don't know. The tag attached to the handle had my name on it, but I haven't had the time to open the box."

With a gentle smile, Watari hinted to Hisoka, "Maybe you should open it now. If it had your name on it, it means that Troy wanted you to have it."

Following his elder companions' advice, Hisoka reached out for the wooden box and rested it on his lap. After examining the box's fine varnish and woodwork, he then unlocked it. His eyes went wide in disbelief and surprise in what he saw, leaving him speechless as his eyes scanned at the content of the box.

A curious Watari and Tatsumi saw Hisoka's reaction, approaching and standing behind Hisoka to see what was in the box, and being awed at what they saw as well...

**End of Chapter ****Eighteen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

_The depiction of Ashtarote and Sargatanas in this fan fiction belongs to Matsushita Yoko, although these two are found in demonology and mythology books._

_The depiction of Abigor in this fan fiction also belongs to Zatken, although Abigor is found in demonology and mythology books._

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Bon_**_, which means kid, is Watari's endearing way of calling or referring to Hisoka._

_Enma is the lord and the judge of the dead._

_The **Castle of Candles** is the home of the **Earl **- the keeper of the candles. Each candle represents a human life, and the **Earl** is an invisible figure...save for a floating white mask and clothes whenever he faced other people. The **Earl**, by the way, has given Tsuzuki many favors (mostly requests for prolonging one's life, such as what Tsuzuki does for his retrieval at The Last Waltz manga episode and for Troy Tsuuri)...and he has been expecting Tsuzuki to "pay him back..."_


	20. The Truth about Things to Come

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Nineteen – The Truth about Things to Come**

* * *

The very minute that Tsuuri Troy arrived at the large receiving area inside EnmaCho, his normally calm nerves began to grate from the multitude of souls who stared at him with such scrutiny. When two well-dressed men approached and asked him to come with them, the many others who have been waiting for their turn glared at him with such animosity and envy...causing him to muse, "I guess that I'd be irritated, too, if I've been waiting for a long time and someone who literally just arrived was called before me."

After making a series of turns through hollow hallways, Troy found himself standing in front of two towering doors of mahogany, gold, silver, and marble. Whoever – or whatever – resided behind those ornate doors stirred the sense of fright and wonder within him. He then looked at the two men who ushered him since his arrival, searching for answers as to what would happen next via probing gazes.

The two men kept their unemotional demeanor, as they stepped back and gave the towering doors enough room to open by themselves...leaving Troy to face the darkness that greeted him as soon as the doors creaked open.

"Welcome, Tsuuri Troy. Come forward. I have been expecting you," said a rich voice that echoed throughout the hollowed halls inside the chamber.

Troy felt so miniscule and vulnerable, as he remained transfixed in the spot where he stood. Bitter cold breeze blew against his body and face, making him shiver as he took calculated steps in entering the dark void. He scanned his vast and rather intimidating surroundings of mahogany, alabaster, marble, crystal, bronze, silver, and gold…

Once he was completely inside, the heavy doors slammed behind him.

Not knowing what would happen next and stopping once more, Troy's charcoal gray eyes went wide and his heart raced furiously. Seconds later, a ray of light illuminated a spot far from where he stood. The torches located on both sides of the vast chamber lit on their own...providing an ominous ambience to all who dare enter.

"Do not be afraid. Come closer, so that we could talk more informally," beckoned the mysterious and masculine-voiced occupant from the dark.

No matter how inviting and benevolent-sounding the occupant's voice rang in his ears, Troy could not feel at ease for reasons unknown even to him. He sensed something that was unfathomable, fickle, and dangerous yet so familiar waiting for him at the end of the long marbled walkway.

Swallowing the lumpy feeling in his throat, Troy walked while his eyes beheld the architectural marvel that he was trapped in... Marble pillars and floors, an array of alabaster and woodcarvings of mythical battles and life-like figures, interior structures lined with glittering gems and precious metals, and touches of polished mahogany throughout the chamber. Everything that he saw was a blatant and striking irony from the understated and solemn church that he sought refuge at during his lifetime.

Troy's footsteps against the ancient but polished marble, as light as they were, echoed throughout the empty halls and made his blood run thick. As he came closer to the end, he surmised that nothing inside the chamber - no matter how breathtaking everything that he saw had been - could outdo the tasteful elegance of the mahogany podium that hid its mysterious occupant. He surmised that he was in a formal throne room of a great kingdom, but the raised platform and the booming voice of its occupant gave him the impression that he was in a courtroom to attend a trial.

His trial….

The mysterious figure behind the dais could see everything, even though he and his throne remained hidden since his existence. He gave the new arrival a probing gaze, his intent eyes scanning the latter from head to foot. Feeling a strong aura from the one who was approaching his presence, he mused in subdued amazement, "You look just as you did eons ago before you became tainted...before you left me and our realm for an unattainable ideal."

The awestruck Troy took his last steps, as he stood about twenty paces before the platform...close enough to respectfully seek an audience from the unseen requestor, but far enough to cautiously appease his sense of helplessness and mistrust.

"You have always been so handsome. You have never changed since I have last seen you. I should greet you a Happy Birthday today. You would have been 19 if you have lived another day on Chijou. You have a new life now, a new existence. From now on, you will be eternally 18 years old. Forever young and very powerful," said the owner of the rich voice sitting behind the ornate dais made of mahogany, gold, and marble.

With his eyes going wide upon recognizing the demon tongue that he acquired and mastered during his moments of delirium in Kyoto, Troy responded in the same unearthly dialect, "Who are you?"

A quiet chuckle resonated and bounced against the gold-leafed walls. "Your memory might have failed you, but trust your instincts. You do have an idea who I am, do you not?"

Closing his eyes, the young man listened more closely to the unearthly voices within him. It took him many minutes before he opened his eyes once more, unable to refute the answer that was given to him. His heart pounded faster while staring at the platform, hiding his fear while saying with quiet certainty, "People around the world call you many names. We call you _Enma_, the Lord of Death. You pass judgment to the deceased, and delegate as to what realm they would go next after sentencing."

Although no one could see that his head nodded in agreement, Enma's amused tone gave it away as he remarked, "I have watched over you and your father all these years. Those voices inside your head must have whispered the truth to you. However, they did not tell you that I am more to you than just the Lord of Death and your judge."

Without removing his gaze at the mahogany podium, Troy asked, "Why am I here, King Enma?"

A cold and menacing voice reverberated throughout the courtroom, as its owner shifted in his throne. "Do you refuse to call me by my rightful title as your new Lord? You are in my realm now, Tsuuri Troy. You are here before me to be judged. I hold the key as to whether your soul would go to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. You should be bending down on your knees before me, asking for clemency for your sins instead of insulting me!"

"With all due respect, King Enma, your rule in this realm _doesn't _make you God. I've done the best to repent for my sins. If there were transgressions that I haven't reconciled with, I accept my punishment."

Enma's eyes flashed their fury, but he nonetheless expressed his anger in a tone of subtle disdain. "God also has dominion over this realm, and all others. He, however, is far from your reach. He is much farther from you than you could possibly imagine, and for reasons that you might never understand."

Troy's calm and semi-apologetic voice reflected authenticity. "I mean no disrespect, King Enma. I'm stating what I believe is fact."

With his anger subsiding, the Lord of Death told the young man, "I am glad that you have unleashed the power of the sixth anagram, and I thank you for helping my men battle Muraki. Those deeds will weigh in heavily for my deliberation."

Cold and dreadful silence filled Enma's throne room before Troy asked, "I released the sixth anagram. It was supposed to turn me into a full demon. I don't understand why I still look human."

An emotionless-sounding Enma suggested, "Your transformation is not yet complete."

"I see," Troy mumbled in sadness while a chill traveled down his spine.

"You should not lament over a gift that has been given to you. Having dominion over all the six elements' most chaotic state is such a privilege that even I do not enjoy. Other demons, and some humans such as Muraki, would kill for such power. You and your father, on the other hand, possess the very thing that others would envy."

Troy closed his eyes and looked sideways to avoid a pair of scrutinizing eyes that he could not plainly see. The word "father" sent a wave of sadness and longing in his heart, which made him say, "I never met my father, King Enma. I didn't know that he was a demon until days before my death. What could you tell me about him?"

The Lord of Death chuckled, as he saw Troy's bewildered look. "You and your father are much closer than you could possibly imagine, and your destiny as well as the destinies of my men from the Shokan Division is intertwined. There are still many things that you do not understand. Tsuzuki has a pivotal role in upcoming events that would decide the fate for the worlds above, below, and in-between. Just as Tsuzuki's companions in the Shokan Division play a part in the unfolding events, you are here because there is still something left for you to accomplish."

From where he stood, Troy saw an octarine ball of bright light materialize and float in the air above the raised podium.

Still marveling at the mystical sphere that hovered above him, Enma intently said while staring upward to the object that he had not seen in millennia, "When Abigor left this realm, he left this Chaotic sphere under my protection. His seal and the very object above you is what the sixth anagram unlocked for you. The sphere was used to create the worlds above and below, as well as its many realms. It also wields the power to destroy anything and everything that it had created eons ago, and it houses the most powerful part of Abigor's soul. Once you and this sphere become one, you will have all the elemental powers at your disposal. However, it will be up to you to re-master each of your capabilities."

Troy's silently shuddered, as he begged, "I – I don't understand, King Enma."

Enma's voice boomed throughout the vast chamber. "This is your sentence, Tsuuri Troy. Since you have rebelled against God, you have forever lost the privilege of basking in His grace and living in peace. You will be serving God as you fight for His cause outside of Heaven...the gift and punishment for your past crimes."

More fear coursed through his body, as Troy took backward steps and his voice quivered, "I don't want any part of this..."

With a grim tone, the Lord of Death continued, "You still do not understand, do you? This sphere and Abigor's soul had been entrusted to me all these years. I kept them as if it they were my own."

The sphere then shot down and hit Troy in the chest...emitting a blinding light of orange and blue, merging itself into the young man's body, and making him scream as its energy entered into his cells.

At first, the sphere transformed Troy into the towering demon that plagued Kyoto for many weeks - black scales and metallic claws gleamed against the bright octarine light. Once the change was complete, the creature that Troy became roared in such agony.

Another painful transformation had begun for Troy...starting from his feet and working its way up to his head.

Troy's bloodcurdling cries reverberated throughout the chamber, as the metal-like scales and claws melted and his flesh burned from the inside. He fell facedown in the pool of his own blood, which increased its contrasting crimson presence against the polished ivory marble floors as the transformation continued.

Minutes later, a tall figure rose from the floor and the pool of blood disappeared.

The Chaotic sphere warmly glowed inside Troy's chest as he slowly rose to his feet. The mystical object gave him a new body that appeared fully human but was entirely demonic...the shiny obsidian scales were altered into a shimmering armor of black, and transformed the long metallic claws into a menacing lance whose pointed end shone in the darkness.

A handsome warrior with angelic wings of red and black stood before Lord Enma. Although Troy's eyes still bore their charismatic expression, Enma saw that those charcoal gray eyes already lost their luster of innocence as he told Troy, "He and I need you as one of his warriors in demonic realms where His other more fortunate angels dare not go...just as much as I need Tsuzuki, Konoe, Tatsumi, Watari, and Kurosaki."

When the Chaotic sphere's glow disappeared and fully merged within Troy, the young man fell on the marbled floor. Gone were his armor, wings, and lance...his final transformation leaving him unconscious and stark naked.

Enma emerged from his throne and descended the long flight of stairs, slithering towards the spot where Troy fell. The ray of light shining down upon the two of them revealed the current manifestation of the Lord of Death – a fierce dragon with burning crimson eyes, gold and purplish silver scales, and diamond claws.

Eventually, another soft but equally mystical beam of multi-colored light showered upon the dragon.

The long serpentine figure slowly transformed into a tall and beautiful man with straight platinum blonde hair that cascaded to his back. He had enthralling ruby eyes that can express a deep array of emotions ranging from unconditional compassion to sheer cruelty. His innocent and charismatic face held and hid the darkest secrets of time and of the heart, skin as pale and as flawless as alabaster, soft lips taking the same pinkish-white hue of sakura blossoms, a well-toned physique that was visually appealing to both men and women, and rich robes of velvet and silk stitched together with gold thread.

This was Enma's true form...such dazzling beauty, fickle temperament, and hidden cruelty wrapped up in one package...similar to the irony that death brought to the human condition.

No one in JuOhCho our outside Meifu had ever seen Enma's true form, except for Abigor...

When Enma stood before the young man, he removed his cape of royal purple, wrapped the velvet cloth to cover Troy's nakedness, and lifted him from the marbled floor. He entered the magical portal that appeared before him, walked into his bedchambers at the other side, and laid the young man in his large bed.

As the Lord of Death sat on the bed, his elegantly long and shapely fingers caressed over Troy's smooth skin and followed the fine contours of his face...his right index finger lingering most especially around the lips and nose, and his nails brushing against thick and long lashes. With his emotions becoming more stirred for each passing second, he slowly bent down and lightly brushed his lips against Troy's forehead...his gesture eventually deepening into a kiss filled with deep-rooted longing and pain.

Troy did not move...

Enma gazed at the young man with such bittersweet sorrow. With eyes glistening with tears as he cupped Troy's face with his hand, Enma mused, "Sleep well. Once you remember who you really are and what we are to each other, I just hope that you would forgive me for what I have done to you. It was a necessary act, so that you would continue to exist and that all things would fall into place. However, I ask you now... When will you be at peace about who you truly are?"

* * *

In an icy region of another realm, Muraki stood before eight thrones of cold marble...each one different but equally ornate from the others. Seven of those eight thrones were empty, save for the throne in the middle.

The platinum-haired doctor, now wielding additional psychic power from the shattered crystal's dark liquid as it coursed through his veins, gave his report to the primordial.

The primordial shifted in his throne and stared at Muraki. Shortly thereafter, his deep chuckle echoed throughout the icy cave as he said, "You have done well, Muraki Kazutaka. You have done just as well as your ancestors."

"I have all of you to thank, dark one," Muraki responded with a slight bow.

The primordial's ice-blue eyes were focused on Muraki as he stood up. "Your service would not come unrewarded. Although we have lost some of the souls you have captured, they still served their purpose. You have replenished my powers from those souls, and soon my seven other siblings will join me. You also possess most of the powers that we have. As JuOhCho thinks that it foiled your plans, let them revel in false confidence. They do not know that everything is falling according to _our_ plans."

The silence that filled the chamber was interrupted by footsteps coming from an expected figure...

Reading the doctor's emotions, the primordial laughed as if those feelings were feeding and satiating him. "As long as you serve us well, you will get all that you have wished for. "This is what you want, is it not? Power? Immortality? Revenge? You want much more than what you have achieved so far, do you not?" hinted the primordial with a twisted smirk on his lips.

"Yes, I do," replied Muraki, as his thoughts drifted towards Tsuzuki and how close he was in possessing him. Although outwardly calm, his rage boiled inside him as he remembered Hisoka's meddling. His fist clenched, and his eyes lit up as visions of revenge and torture filled his mind.

As a figure stepped within the throne room and joined the others, a masculine voice reverberated the chambers as he said, "I'm glad that you are well, my lord."

Now addressing his two guests, the primordial being said, "You both know what our awakening means, do you not?"

After a nod, the figure replied, "The prophecy has come to pass."

"It will be a matter of time when the long-absent Great Duke Abigor takes back his throne. Does Enma or anyone suspect anything?"

The new arrival that was still concealed within darkness told the rest, "There's dissention among the higher ranks. Lord Enma and the Shokan Division suspect treachery, and they still support Tsuzuki."

With a victorious smirk gleaming in his dark eyes, the primordial remarked, " JuOhCho must not suspect any of our plans until the proper time."

"What about Abigor, Tsuzuki, and the Shokan Division, my lord?" asked the mysterious figure while giving his master a probing look.

After his silent pondering, the primordial responded, "If any one of them fights for our side, our victory will be assured. Each one has his own weakness. Have any one of them fall from their true purpose, and the rest will fall. As to Tsuzuki Asato, he will find out the truth about himself. When that opportune time comes, we shall see where his allegiances would stand."

"We understand," simultaneously replied Muraki and the other person. After bowing before the demon god, the two left the icy chambers, led by Muraki whose white trench coat billowed behind him. The mysterious figure disappeared back into the shadows and began his return to JuOhCho.

As the primordial watched his two servants turn around and leave his presence, he pondered about his siblings' awakening and the war that his realm was about to wage. Nonetheless, his features turned grim and his eyes lit in malevolent fury. His thoughts shifted to JuOhCho and Tsuzuki, making him mumble, "Enma is not a fool. He knows who Tsuzuki Asato really is, so he keeps him on a tight leash. He also knows what the others are capable of, so he keeps them under him. As to Abigor, he has always followed what he believes is right. We will exploit everyone's weakness, especially Enma. If all of creation above and below came from the Chaotic sphere, my siblings and I would do everything to take back what is ours...that and claim what or who should have been mine a long time ago."

**End of Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

**_Normal Disclaimer_**

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

_The depiction of Ashtarote and Sargatanas in this fan fiction belongs to Matsushita Yoko, although these two are found in demonology and mythology books._

_The depiction of Abigor in this fan fiction also belongs to Zatken, although Abigor is found in demonology and mythology books._

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Bon_**_, which means kid, is Watari's endearing way of calling or referring to Hisoka._

_**Enma** is the lord and the judge of the dead._

_The _**_Castle of Candles_**_ is the home of the **Earl **- the keeper of the candles. Each candle represents a human life, and the **Earl** is an invisible figure. He appears as a floating white mask and clothes whenever he faced other people. The **Earl**, by the way, has given Tsuzuki many favors (mostly requests for prolonging one's life, such as what Tsuzuki does for his retrieval at The Last Waltz manga episode and for Troy Tsuuri)...and he has been expecting Tsuzuki to "pay him back..."_

_Okay...so what do you think about this chapter? What do you think is going on here, and how does Tsuuri Troy and Abigor fit in (I just want to see where people are at as to the plot)? Is there a connection between Enma and Troy, and if there is then what is it? What's Muraki really up to this time? What do you think is in the long rectangular box that Troy left for Hisoka? How does Tsuzuki fit in all of this, and what's in store for everyone?_

_Stay tuned to the next chapter, and the upcoming sequel ;-D_

_

* * *

**Review Responses**_

**Luna-chan**, my dear...I fixed the grammar boo-boos. Thanks for keeping me up on my toes ;-D

**Xelena**...I found the demonology references in these books that I have in my shelf. The same information is also found online.

**RubyMoon**...there'll be lots of Muraki in the sequel. I apologize if he hasn't appeared as much as you and I wanted to in Kyoto Files Revisited, but it is necessary in preparation to this sequel (this sequel has been planned since the idea for Kyoto Files Revisited came to my mind).

**To everyone...**thanks for reading and reviewing ;-D You inspire me ;-D


	21. Last Chapter What It All Means

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**KYOTO FILES REVISITED**

**Chapter Twenty - What It All Means **

* * *

**_To the Reader_**

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fan fiction has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_For more information, I refer you to Theria's and Sakura Crisis' website. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans, Sakura Crisis' scanlations are one of the best out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as a reference for me to further understanding the series._

* * *

A rough three weeks had passed since the Kyoto case came to a close with Tsuuri Troy's death....

During those fateful weeks, Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi took turns keeping Tsuzuki company during the day and the three were together at night in Tsuzuki's apartment. Chief Konoe did his part by visiting Tsuzuki every night after work.

From not saying a word or doing anything in his room but stare out of the window, Tsuzuki started making small conversation with whoever he was with at the time. Whenever Hisoka was with him, he skimmed through Troy's journal while Hisoka read a book...each one being with the other in silence. At night, his three companions took places inside his bedroom and slept to keep him company...giving him the freedom to gaze at his peers as they slept and at times sweep the unruly hair away from Hisoka's eyes.

After the first grueling week and unknown to the others, Tsuzuki lay in his bed at night and cried to let out the pain in his heart. For every second that he was left alone, he pondered about multiple ways of ending his agony. Whenever those morbid impulses entered his mind, he also thought about Hisoka and the others.

As the weeks passed, Tsuzuki showed small but hopeful signs that he was coping from taking his retrieval's life.

When those three weeks had passed, Tsuzuki returned to work.

He was greeted in the morning by an amicable Wakaba who baked apple pockets to welcome him back, discovered that Hisoka had finished his reports and paperwork, and was treated by everyone as if he had not been gone for three weeks. Whenever he could not muster a half-smile as the workday progressed, he stepped out of the office and sought refuge underneath the sakura trees.

Today was also the end of Tatsumi 's three weeks of wondering as to why Lord Enma wanted to speak with him....

Once he returned to his office from Enma's chambers before noon, Tatsumi walked past every co-worker without a word and closed the door behind him. He sat in his ergonomic chair with financial statements before him, eager to bury himself in work but unable to do so. After drinking his umpteenth cup of coffee, his shock gave way to his momentum for work. Although he picked up his pace as he worked on his projects, his thoughts kept drifting on whether he made the right decision.

For the second time since Tatsumi had been the Shokan Division's secretary and EnmaCho's financial officer, he turned down a sizable promotion. In spite of Tatsumi's respectful decline of the position, the Lord of Death granted Tatsumi a raise and reassured the secretary that the promotion would be given to him once he changed his mind in the near or distant future.

When Enma asked Tatsumi as to why he chose to turn down such an opportunity for the second time, Tatsumi said that he would rather stay with the Shokan Division since there was still plenty of work needed to be done. Hearing the response as he sat unseen behind the raised dais, Enma smirked in silence since he knew that Tatsumi had selfish and selfless reasons when he had foregone the promotion.

The Lord of Death knew Tatsumi well, and had a contradictory viewpoint about the latter.

Just as Enma did with Chief Konoe, he trusted Tatsumi but was also aware that the same trustworthy employee could become a dangerous enemy if pushed to the extremes. Throughout the decades, Enma rewarded Tatsumi by granting him political leverage within JuOhCho and Meifu, delegating him as his emissary for certain bureaucratic and fiscal matters, offering him promotions, and giving him raises and bonuses when it was warranted.

At the same time, these perks were also Enma's way of keeping Tatsumi under his close watch...just as he used leniency as a hook to keep Tsuzuki trapped in his realm. Believing that one should keep friends close but potential enemies even closer, Enma would not even be the least bit surprised if Tatsumi knew these fundamental facts and was not bothered by it. As far as they were concerned, the professional relationship that they shared posed a mutual win-win situation - Enma had never seen JuOhCho and EnmaCho's finances in better shape until Tatsumi assumed the fiscal and financial responsibilities, and Tatsumi was energized in handling such matters.

As the Shokan Division's second-in-command for the majority of his afterlife, Tatsumi enjoyed the advantages of being a junior boss. First, he was high enough in the organizational ladder to enforce policies and gain access to privileged information. At the same time, he was low enough in the JuOhCho's hierarchy to maintain an ear within the organization's grapevine. The years of hard work and sacrifice paid off for Tatsumi, as he gained greater trust from his superiors and amassed more political clout within Meifu. This professional and political advantage, along with his innate shrewdness and dark powers, made JuOhCho's lower employees whisper about him and divisional chiefs fear his wrath.

And now, Tatsumi was preparing to leave for a special task...one of the sweet rewards from maintaining Enma's good graces.

Hearing a knock at his door and being interrupted from his train of though, Tatsumi said, "Come in!"

Tsuzuki opened the door, peeked inside, and saw Tatsumi arranging his paperwork in neat piles. He noticed a half-open leather briefcase being loaded up with paperwork to be taken home...the array of newly-sharpened red, blue, and lead pencils sitting in its rectangular ceramic holder...and the coffee mug resting near the computer monitor - already washed and ready to be used the following workday.

It was only four-fifteen in the afternoon.

"You're leaving early?" asked Tsuzuki with a raised eyebrow and a curious frown, as he sat down on a chair across from the secretary.

Now saving the files in his computer and turning off the machine, Tatsumi replied without looking up, "I have a couple of work-related errands to do before I go home."

Long silence transpired between Tatsumi and Tsuzuki...each one anticipating what would happen next, wondering who would make the first move, or pondering as to who would say the first word.

Tatsumi observed Tsuzuki at the corner of his eye. Judging by the thoughtful look on Tsuzuki's face, he knew that the shinigami came in his office for more than a casual chat. As the tense-filled silence between them became more unbearable, the secretary finally asked while picking up another file to take home for the weekend, "Is there something that I can help you with before I leave, Tsuzuki-san?"

"I'd like to thank you, Tatsumi...."

The secretary pushed the manila folder inside his briefcase before gazing at the new arrival. "Thank you? For what?"

"If it weren't for you, Hisoka, Watari, and the Chief...."

Tatsumi let out a deep sigh and then asked while leaning his hands against his desk, "Tell me, Tsuzuki-san.... Do you still feel guilty about Tsuuri-kun's death?"

Taking in a deep breath and then letting it out, Tsuzuki turned grim as he told Tatsumi, "I wished that fate would've been much kinder to Troy. I wished that others would've been kinder to him. He didn't get to live his life and enjoy it, no matter how gentle he was or how hard he worked for a better future. He deserved much better than being ostracized by everyone, or dying so young."

"Tsuuri-kun's at peace now, Tsuzuki-san. What he needs from us now are our prayers. From the beginning, he knew that we were sent to retrieve him. For the short time that we knew him, he opened up to us and trusted us as his friends. He wouldn't want to see anyone being guilt-ridden over his death."

A bittersweet smile escaped Tsuzuki's lips, as he carded his hands through his dark hair. He then leaned against his chair as he responded, "Whenever I think about Troy, I couldn't help but think about the child we retrieved in Kyoto so many years ago. I also can't help but think about how my past was when I was still alive."

Once he put the last pile of paperwork in its place on his desk, Tatsumi moved his briefcase on the floor and sat on his chair. He said in a calm voice as he let out a heavy sigh, "I don't blame you. You could compare Troy to the child we retrieved years ago...open-hearted, accepting, betrayed and deprived by the world around them. They both died before their time, but nonetheless accepted their fate willingly. They both told you not to feel sorry about their deaths."

Tsuzuki stared straight into Tatsumi's eyes. Although Tsuzuki had heard the gist of those words decades ago when they were still partners, this was the first time that Tatsumi's words pierced his heart.

As gentle and as intent as he possibly could, Tatsumi told Tsuzuki, "You and I know that the shinigami who retrieved our souls felt the same way as we are feeling now. When our retrievals told us not to feel guilty about their deaths, they recognized the fact that we were not cold-blooded murderers but emissaries performing a necessary task. Let us honor their memories by applying the valuable lessons that they taught us in their lives and deaths. We need to understand that as long as we blame ourselves over their fates, their souls and ours would never be at peace."

After moments of thoughtful silence, Tsuzuki said as he opened his eyes, "You've always been a good and patient friend to me, Tatsumi. I don't know how to thank you."

Interlacing his fingers and resting his elbows on his desk, the secretary stared into expressive amethyst eyes...the same ones that he loved, was saddened over, and feared. "You don't have to thank me or any of us. However, are you _ really _going to be okay?"

"I'll be okay, although it'll take time. I still have one more loose end to tie up." Tsuzuki gave Tatsumi an amiable nod, and then stood up. "Thanks for the talk. It helped a lot."

"Tsuzuki-san...."

Tsuzuki stopped, once he heard Tatsumi call his name. His right hand rested on the doorknob, as he turned around to face Tatsumi.

"If you ever need anything, just let me know. You know where to find me...."

With a slightly lighter heart and a warmer smile, Tsuzuki told the secretary, "I'll remember. Thanks again, Tatsumi. Have a good evening...."

A consoling grin escaped Tatsumi's lips, as he replied, "Same to you, too, Tsuzuki-san. I'll see you tomorrow...."

After giving a slight but amicable nod, Tsuzuki closed the door behind him and walked back to his desk.

Tatsumi's transfixed and melancholic gaze stayed long after the doors were closed. As he looked at his wall clock, while he mused, "It is _I _who should thank you, Tsuzuki-san. I wanted to believe in what I just told you, but what's important to me is that _you_ believe in it. I'll always be there for you, but I must watch over you from a distance. Trust me that I'll do everything to set matters right whenever it involves you or those who we both care about..."

* * *

"What does this mean?"

A tightlipped and collected Tatsumi looked straight into Chief Satori's eyes, as he said, "As stated in the memorandum and the projected cash flow statements in your hands, you are given notice about the Peace Preservation Bureau's budgetary cuts for the next five fiscal years. Aside from this, your salary will be docked for the next five years. These changes will take effect immediately."

The Peace Preservation Chief's eyes gave Tatsumi dagger looks, as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "You have no right to do this to me!"

Without changing his matter-of-factly tone, Tatsumi told the chief, "As the secretary and financial advisor for EnmaCho and JuOhCho, EnmaDaiOh-sama has authorized me for many years to enforce any financial-related policies and actions. Our lord already gave you a verbal warning not to question his decisions regarding Tsuzuki, or any other ideas that seem unfavorable to you...as well as the consequences if you dare oppose him again."

Tossing the report in his trash can, Chief Satori said, "This report only reflects cuts for the Peace Preservation Bureau! Bullying my organization is unacceptable!"

"It doesn't matter whether you throw or file what I just gave you. Everything stated in the memorandum will be enforced for five fiscal years, especially the thirty-five percent reallocation of your Bureau's budget to the Shokan Division and your salary cut. Your five-year, thirty-five percent salary cut will be divided up to increase Chief Konoe's and Tsuzuki-san's salaries."

The Peace Chief snorted, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Your full cooperation is expected and encouraged. If you excuse me, I have other official matters to carry out for my Division and EnmaDaiOh-sama." The secretary turned his back and then walked away, clutching the handle of his briefcase as if he was strangling the arrogant Chief's neck.

"You self-righteous and smug piece of shit!" screamed Chief Satori, as he flung a lead crystal ashtray towards Tatsumi.

Tatsumi's servant shadows sprung out...catching the hard object in mid-air long before the ashtray could hit their master.

The handsome secretary turned around and faced Chief Satori, his cold eyes narrowing and a deep frown indenting his forehead. As the shadows held the hard object, Tatsumi pushed his glasses back in silent rage. "Your vile mouth, crude behavior, and explosive temper are the reasons why you're in this mess in the first place. You've already crossed the line by disrespecting EnmaDaiOh-sama, Chief Konoe, Tsuzuki-san, and the entire Shokan Division with your unfounded words and backstabbing."

"You'll never frighten me into submission, Tatsumi Seiichiro!"

The shadows wrapped themselves around the lead crystal ashtray, gripping the object with such vise-like pressure until it shattered...sending its slivers flying in different directions. As Tatsumi remained transfixed and unfazed from watching his shadows' work, Chief Satori kept his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of him to deflect any fragments coming his way.

As Tatsumi's calculated footsteps came closer towards him, Chief Satori opened his eyes behind his crossed arms. For each step that Tatsumi took closer to him, Satori walked backwards until his back leaned flat against the wall.

Shards of crystal further cracked against marbled floor, as Tatsumi's calculated footsteps continued their approach towards Satori. Once he stood before Satori, Tatsumi leaned his left hand on the wall while his right hand held his briefcase. As he closed the distance between him and the chief, he deadpanned, "I'm not as kind as EnmaDaiOh-sama or Chief Konoe, nor am I as forgiving as Tsuzuki-san. I also don't waste my efforts in frightening people. I just do what I believe is right without any reservation."

Placing his hands down and mustering the last amount of courage left in him, Chief Satori spat, "What makes you think that I'll do what a lowly secretary tells me?"

Tatsumi's azure eyes gleamed behind his glasses, as he gave a piercing glare that froze Chief Satori's blood. "Appearances can be deceiving. If I were you, I wouldn't try this _lowly secretary's_ patience. My formal position within EnmaCho and JuOhCho doesn't limit me to what I could carry out professionally _ and _personally against you. Keep up with your oaf-like behavior, especially around and towards any member of the Shokan Division, and you'll see more than a budgetary cut and a demotion in your future. _I'll _make sure of that...."

Chief Satori met Tatsumi's angry gaze. Seeing such eyes stare back at him confirmed as to why Tatsumi was considered one of the most dangerous denizens in Meifu...a shinigami turned junior boss whose shrewdness made some of those superior to him quake in fear...a cold and calculating man whose explosive temper and vengeful tendencies were concealed under a facade of rigid professionalism...a shadow master whose supernatural strength could rival Tsuzuki's own array of mastered and latent powers.

Observing Chief Satori's uncouth demeanor melt before him, Tatsumi told the now-intimidated man as he turned around and left, "For your own sake, you could start by apologizing to Chief Konoe and Tsuzuki-san. Good day, _Chief._ "

* * *

Another week had passed since Tatsumi confronted Chief Satori.

A half-mile from JuOhCho's offices underneath one of the blooming sakura trees nearby the vast lake, Tsuzuki offered some yellow roses and stood before an unmarked grave. This had been the fourth time that he took the longer route home to stop by the grave and pay his respects to Troy.

As the shinigami prayed for Troy's soul, he also pondered about the matters bogging down his brain and heart for the past months.

After the Shokan Division retrieved Troy's body and soul, Tsuzuki took with them Troy's diary. He also kept the two journals that they found in Troy's home. During sleepless and guilt-ridden nights, he read entries from his latest retrieval's diary. He could not recall how many times he had read Troy's journal, especially the last entry made in it...

It was the commencement speech that Hisoka delivered in Troy's behalf on graduation day, all written out in the young man's journal a few weeks before his death....

Standing before the grave as his eyes glistened from held-back tears, Tsuzuki's mind recalled the words from Troy's poignant speech that Hisoka read weeks ago. He most especially remembered the lines that penetrated deep into his soul since that day....

_Our hearts need to give room for the people that come and go in our lives.  
They make our world more colorful with their dreams, hopes, smiles, and love.  
They cleanse and refresh our souls with their tears of compassion, joy, and sorrow.  
They light the darkest corners of our hearts with hopes of a bright future and a fruitful life.  
They are our strength and protection in our most desolate hours.  
They also see the best in us and what we could be, especially when we do not recognize it for ourselves. _

_They, in their sheer imperfection, serve as a living reminder of the best and worst within us.  
They are the source of our growth as we journey through life. _

_See them for the invaluable gems that they are.  
No matter what happens, cherish them with all your heart, mind, and soul.  
As opportunity permits, tell them how precious they are to you.  
You need them in your life as much as they need to hear those words from you. _

_Readily embrace those wonderful people and never let them go.  
The same loved ones who make life worth living are also the ones who are worth dying for...._

A familiar voice interrupted Tsuzuki's thoughts, as its owner said while approaching the grave and joining the dark-haired shinigami, "I wish that he was still alive for me to thank him. I still don't know why he left that box behind for me, especially since I don't think that I deserve it. When I read his speech and opened that box, I felt his presence. He said everything that he needed to say that day, although he wasn't physically there to do it. "

"His words came alive that day, and he has you to thank for that," replied Tsuzuki, as he gave Kurosaki Hisoka a light smile. "As to the gift that he left behind for you, he believed that you should keep them for him. He passed them on to someone who is worthy of them, and who would cherish them just as much as he did."

As the two of them stood side by side, the elder shinigami glanced towards his younger partner from time to time without saying anything.

The handsome young man sighed, as he crossed his arms over his chest to keep warm. He kept his transfixed gaze at Troy's grave, but acknowledged that he read Tsuzuki's thoughts as he remarked, "I'm fine. You should worry about yourself first. Why are you always more concerned about other people's welfare rather than your own well-being?"

"You're my partner, Hisoka. No matter what happens, I'll always be concerned about you."

Silence filled the air and lingered, as one waited for the other to make the first move or remark.

Feeling his partner's myriad and conflicting emotions, Hisoka said, "You're not the only one who worries. We were worried about you, too. I was worried about you, and I still am...."

"I know...."

"Only you...someone who had been through what Troy had gone through, could possibly relate to him. You and he almost suffered the same fate."

A half-smile escaped from Tsuzuki's lips. "So did you...from your family and Muraki, to make matters much worse."

"I guess so...."

"You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Hisoka. You stayed sane throughout the time that your family ostracized you. You even withstood three years' worth of torment in Muraki's hands. Now, you're beating all the odds against you by enhancing your gifts. I'm very proud of you."

"Would you have been happier for me, if I was still alive?" asked a tightlipped Hisoka, trying to understand the elder shinigami's sentiments. This very moment was not the first time that he read these very emotions from the elder shinigami - failed aspirations, wishful thinking, and deep-rooted melancholy.

Caught off-guard, but was nonetheless reminded that his young partner was an empath, Tsuzuki sighed and then responded with silent certainty, "When you did that commencement speech for Troy weeks ago, I was so happy to see you up there. Even though we were still undercover, I treated that day as your graduation. At the same time, I felt sad. I wondered how different our lives would've been if you were still alive today and we had never met."

After a brief pause and a sideward glance towards Hisoka, Tsuzuki continued as his eyes lit up, "You, Kurosaki Hisoka, would have been doing that commencement speech as you graduate top of your class. You would've lived a successful, fulfilled, and long life. If you did, I know that you would've made most of your dreams come true. You deserve so much more than living the afterlife of a shinigami. However, my thoughts end up the same every time...being grateful that fate made us partners, and that I wouldn't have it any other way."

Resting his eyes at the blue-green lake as the first signs of dusk began to tease the sky, Hisoka told his partner in sadness, "There are times that I feel cheated. If I lived, I would've been the seventeenth head of the Kurosaki household. My father introduced me to a life of training and discipline, and death would've been the only honorable way out from a fate chosen for me. Even in death, I didn't even have a choice since Muraki did that for me."

"Hisoka...."

"I'm not angry about being dead, Tsuzuki. I'm angry because I didn't die in my own time, and in my own terms. Muraki robbed me and the gods that privilege by putting that curse on me. However, it's moot to think of such things now."

Tsuzuki turned around, leaned against the sakura tree, and faced the young man. "I owe you an apology all this time. I'm sorry for being so selfish and unfair to you."

Hisoka frowned, gazing into his partner's amethyst eyes as they took a deeper shade and glossy sheen. "How could you claim to be selfish? No one asks you to do it, but you're the one who puts everyone's welfare before your own."

Without saying a word, Tsuzuki closed his eyes and took a deep breath....

The empath was left speechless, as Tsuzuki's emotions flooded and filled his heart, mind, and soul. His eyes glimmered and his body trembled while he fought for control, although he did not show any outward signs of struggling. He wanted to hear what his elder partner had to say during this long-overdue conversation between them. Nonetheless, his eyes never removed from Tsuzuki.

Conscious and careful not to overwhelm the young man, but could not help his emotions from potently seeping though, Tsuzuki said, "Thanks for always being there for me. You may not believe in promises, Hisoka, but I hope that this one would mean something to you. I'll be more open to you from now on."

After the long silence between them, Hisoka murmured as he stared into Tsuzuki's eyes, "Y - You'll do that for me?"

Tsuzuki's eyes and face beamed such an innocent, disarming, and reassuring smile before he told the young man. "It would take time, but please be patient with me. I'll do my best to keep my word, most especially because I made a promise to you."

"Tsuzuki...."

This time, Tsuzuki closed the distance between him and Hisoka...initiating the hug between them. For the first time since their partnership, a silent Hisoka relented without a fuss. As the sakura petals fell like pinkish-white snow and began to blanket the ground, their embrace tightened and served as warmth from the cool lakeside breeze.

During the many months of pondering since he and Hisoka survived Touda's flames in Kyoto, Tsuzuki realized the biggest ironies in his afterlife. First, he was granted care and friendship by someone who had been hurt and betrayed by those closest to him. Secondly, in spite of their respective shortcomings, the young man in his arms taught him to hope, trust, and love once more. Third, he now truly knew that beneath the empath's constant and open refusals for help, affection, or protection was someone who looked up to him...needed him to exist...wanted to be by his side...craved for his trust.

That hug between them said everything that both of them needed to hear from each other, and much more....

What touched and scared Tsuzuki the most was the fact that if he ever lost the will to exist for himself or for anyone else once again, Hisoka would once again be willing to die along with him. Tightening his embrace around Hisoka, Tsuzuki's tears flowed more freely. As he kissed his young partner on the forehead with such heartfelt gentleness and passion, he mused as he closed his eyes and the tears flowed freely from him, "I don't know what you see in me, but I'll live for you. As long as you need me, I'll always be by your side. I promise this to you, Hisoka...."

Hisoka's heart ached in silent joy while the tears continued to stream down his cheeks. As he kept his eyes closed, the young man felt the wave of emotions from his partner...the strongest that he had ever felt from him since they have known each other, and the warmest feeling of love and security that he had ever experienced in his life and afterlife.

Once Hisoka finally let go of his emotional shield, Tsuzuki felt the subtle tremble from his younger partner's body...prompting him to hug Hisoka as if he was covering his partner with protective and nurturing wings.

Not wanting their moment together to end, they broke off their embrace and sat on a blanket of sakura petals underneath the huge tree. Tsuzuki rested his back against the big tree. Hisoka leaned against Tsuzuki, positioned in such a way that he could either lean against Tsuzuki's chest and rest his head against sturdy shoulders or give room for Tsuzuki just in case he wanted to wrap Hisoka with a protective and comforting hug. A sense of peace resided in the core of their beings, as they viewed the setting sun as it kissed the calm lake in comfortable silence.

"Tsuzuki?"

The elder man's response was a downward glance, amethyst eyes prepared to meet emerald ones. When he saw that Hisoka did not look but rather kept his gaze at the sunset and the lake before them, Tsuzuki gently smiled...his mind wandering for a moment as he saw how the waning light played around with the color of Hisoka's blonde hair. Letting out a subtle sigh of contentment, he withheld a chuckle as he imagined Hisoka calling him a sentimental fool for humoring such ideas in his head.

The young man, even though he captured a full read on Tsuzuki's current thoughts and feelings, did not call him an idiot or a fool. Looking up to his partner, he then asked, "After all that we've been through, especially after this case, are you going to be okay?"

As his left arm protectively wrapped around Hisoka in a one-arm embrace, Tsuzuki responded as his eyes glistened with tears of hope, "It'll take time, Hisoka. God willing, everything will be all right...."

* * *

From a distance, Tatsumi stood behind a sakura tree and observed the poignant scene between Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Happy and sad over what he saw, he mused, "Although I know that you're going to be okay, I'll always be there for you...even if it must be from a distance for our sakes."

"This isn't the way home for you, is it?" hinted an amicable voice coming from behind him, along with a series of soft hoots from an owl.

Tatsumi blinked his eyes before he turned around and saw Watari with his customarily genial smile. After clearing his throat, he told the scientist, "I was about to visit Tsuuri-kun's grave, but I didn't want to bother them."

"I see..." mumbled Watari without acknowledging that he saw the hidden sadness in Tatsumi's eyes, or protesting when Tatsumi motioned him to walk away with him from where they stood. He walked side-by-side with the secretary as the latter took the longer path home, the two following the path of the lake and the rows of sakura trees.

The two men walked in silence...the only sounds were their light footsteps against concrete blanketed with sakura blossoms, the soft hoots from 003, and the gentle breeze blowing against the trees and the water.

Watari eventually let out a sigh and remarked, "I'm glad that this case is over. I'm also happy for Tsuzuki-san and Bon. It's about time that Tsuzuki-san gets a partner that would stick with him."

Tatsumi was still in deep thought and had dug his hands inside his pockets. "So am I.... They compliment each other, and Kurosaki-kun has what it takes to stay with Tsuzuki-san."

"By the way, what did you do to Chief Satori? After your visit to his office, he's been so nice to everyone - especially with Tsuzuki and Chief Konoe."

In a nonchalant tone, Tatsumi asked, "Don't you like it when other division chiefs give respect to our division?"

"I do, but we're talking about Chief Satori. As long as I could remember, he's the Shokan Division's number one detractor and one of Tsuzuki's major backstabbers. That fact about him makes me wonder as to what caused him to change overnight. Sweets, compliments, and flowers for the Division...the only thing that the nut hasn't done so far was to go on one knee and propose marriage to Tsuzuki and Chief Konoe."

After waiting, but not receiving either a response or a reaction from Tatsumi, Watari's eyebrow rose higher than it did before as he pried, "How true is it that EnmaDaiOh-sama offered you Chief Satori's position, but you turned it down? You could've been the new Peace Preservation Chief, bearing the same rank as Chief Konoe...."

Glancing at his companion, Tatsumi remarked with a half-smile, "I'm not confirming or denying anything."

"It figures. You wouldn't leave us for anything. The same sneaky sadist who tricked me into doing that autopsy on Doctor Kawasawa would also love torturing poor salaried employees with long-winded fiscal policies," said the scientist with a teasing chuckle.

Tatsumi simply shook his head and smiled, digging his hands deeper into his trench coat pockets while thinking how good it felt to serve Chief Satori his just desserts...but his thoughts then lingered to matters and scenarios that played in his head for many decades...matters that he would definitely observe more closely.

The two became quiet once more, until Watari nonchalantly asked, "Speaking of autopsy, you owe me for that stunt of yours."

With a sly gleam in his eyes, Tatsumi commented, "Although you're the first one who did the trickery by trying to get what you want, I'll play along with you. How do you plan for me to rectify this injustice that I've done against you?"

"Do you have any plans this evening?"

The surprised secretary glanced sideways, but still managed to hide his emotions from his customarily calm voice. "No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

Choosing not to answer and placing his right hand close to his shoulder, Watari playfully coaxed 003 to perch on his hand. Once the bird was secured, the scientist brought his hand in front of him and gave the owl gentle strokes with his left index finger...eliciting a soothed hoot from his pet.

Once his thoughts traveled towards eager curiosity, Tatsumi stopped walking and glanced sideways to his left. With a slightly raised eyebrow, he asked the scientist, "Are you inviting _me_ to go out with _you_ tonight, Watari Yutaka? Is this _your_ idea of payback?"

"The answer to both of your questions is yes," responded a half-smirking Watari without any hesitation, as he continued to play with 003. "Every payday, I go to Chijou, have dinner, and hang out for a couple of hours. Once in a while, I go out with Tsuzuki and Bon. Tonight, I'm by myself. I could definitely use good company. Plus, everyone in the Shokan Division - including Tsuzuki - finally got a raise after all these years. Such a miracle calls for a celebration, especially since I know that you have something to do with it...."

After the silence between them, Watari looked up. As his probing gaze met Tatsumi's semi-curious expression, Watari continued, "Are you interested in hanging out with me and 003 tonight, Tatsumi Seiichiro?"

A more genial smile graced Tatsumi's lips, as he resumed their walk. "Where do you plan to go tonight?"

"I haven't decided yet. Do you have a place that you'd recommend?"

Tatsumi shook his head as his response.

As 003 cooed, Watari suggested, "Let us meet in my apartment an hour from now. We'll talk about it, once we're ready to leave."

"All right. I'll see you at seven," replied Tatsumi with a nod. Although confused from Watari's upfront invitation, he was willing to see what would happen next during and after this innocent evening. He breathed in deeply, recalling the slow but sure signs of Tsuzuki's recovery from despair and seeing Hisoka become more emotionally available towards the man that he loved and spurned decades ago.

Thinking back on the promotion that he forsook for the second time, the peers that he had loved and did his best to protect, and the innocent evening with Watari, Tatsumi mused with a smile as a new feeling of peace resided within him, "Yes, I made the right decision to stay with them...."

While Watari and Tatsumi continued their walk, Tsuzuki and Hisoka stayed at the lake for another hour before they went out to dinner at Chijou. As each of the four enjoyed the moments with good and trusted company, each one knew that more obstacles lay ahead in the future.

However, those worries did not matter to them for now....

What mattered to Watari, Tatsumi, Hisoka, and Tsuzuki now was enjoying each irreplaceable moment with closest friends...no matter how fleeting those moments, as well as the peace that those moments bring, might be.

They, however, did not know that their troubles...much more than what they just went through ...were just beginning....

**End of Chapter Twenty / End of Kyoto Files Revisited**

_

* * *

**Normal Disclaimer** _

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Misawa Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken._

_The depiction of Ashtarote and Sargatanas in this fan fiction belong to Matsushita Yoko, although these two are found in demonology and mythology books._

_The depiction of Abigor in this fan fiction also belongs to Zatken, although Abigor is found in demonology and mythology books._

_

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**Author's Notes** _

_**Bon**, which means kid, is Watari's endearing way of calling or referring to Hisoka._

_**Chijou** is the term the series use for the mortal world or the world of the living._

_Okey dokey, folks....this marks the end of Kyoto Files Revisited and the beginning of a new sequel to this story. There are still a couple of questions left behind by Kyoto Files Revisited that the sequel would answer. Because of the content and issues contained within the sequel, I most probably will give it an R-rating once I post it._

_I hope that you've enjoyed reading Kyoto Files Revisited, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep an eye on the new story, and thanks a million for your constructive reviews and encouragement._


	22. Kyoto Files Revisited Continuation

**To all the dear followers of Kyoto Files Revisited:**

* * *

Many thanks for your continued support of the story. I can never thank everyone enough for supporting all my YnM fics—particularly this series.

This new chapter, which really isn't a new chapter, is to inform all those who have placed this story in the Alert list that the story still continues in _**Apocalypse Rising**_ and **_Ragnarok Descends_**. I decided to use this method of informing people since I've received a good amount of PMs and emails asking me to continue the story. I'm so happy to get to know people this way, since I've made friends along the way…but I guess that it's best to make a blanket notice.

I'm also getting the same message for followers who have put _**Apocalypse Rising **_on their alert list, and so I have also done a blanket notice there.

Thank you so much for your support of the story.

**Warmest regards,**

**PJ Zatken**


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